


Enemy of My Enemey

by Kaoz



Category: My Own Worst Enemy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-31
Updated: 2014-03-09
Packaged: 2017-12-13 12:31:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 33,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/824342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoz/pseuds/Kaoz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Congratulations, it’s a girl! Only Edward didn’t know and Henry wasn’t prepared. Uh-oh…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Henry didn't have a clue. Edward never knew. The one person who did can't explain.

They don't bother being quiet coming in. Step-Dad 3 is the first one to go down. First one to die from an allergy to bullets. Two in the chest, one in the head. That detail she won't forget. Mom stifles her scream and tears behind her hands, harshly pressing them to her mouth. She tries to be quiet, backing away from the stairs because there's two lives depending on her.

The first door on the 2nd floor is silent but the teal and slate bedroom stenciled with dinosaurs is empty no matter how hard she looks inside. The plaid covers get tossed aside and a quick search under the bed produce nothing but an empty room.

She hurries out, tears rolling down her lined cheeks. She can only hope they're together but part of her wants her daughter to be out raising hell instead of living this nightmare-

"Mom?" the dark head peeking out of the 2nd bed room door pulls a ragged breath from her throat.

"Get back!" she breathes in a harsh whisper that puts a frown on her daughters face. She does as ordered and the soft sleepy whisper of the little boy peeking from under the plum comforter sports a messy head of dark hair.

She hurries to the closet. "Take Sully. Now Dësmã!"

The teen does as ordered, takes the sleepy boy in her arms and follows their Mother into the closet barely considered 'walk-in'.

"Up. Go, Dës! And be quiet." She urges taking the little boy and hugging him tightly. She already knows what's coming. She can hear them- the careful tread of footsteps, the creak of the stairs and she drops a kiss on his tousled head, hiding her tears. "I love you, Sully. Be a good boy, don't make any noise."

Dësmã can hear them too. The hatch in the ceiling of her closet is well hidden by some well-chosen posters tacked strategically.

"Take him." She lifts Sully to Dësmã's reaching arm. "I love you both, Dës. Keep your brother safe. Get him out of here, far from here. Not the neighbors. Find Grazê. Go to him."

"Mom-!" but her Mother hurries out of the closet closing the door behind her. She hauls Sully into the attic space carefully replacing the tile, knowing instinctively there's danger and cradling her brother close.

"I want Mom, Dëssy." Sully turns bright teary eyes to her, his lips already trembling and what comes next is exactly what her Mother doesn't want.

"We're playing a game, Sully." She forces a smile, her hands framing his face. "You want to sneak out with me tonight? We'll go buy some fries, yeah?"

Sully shakes his head. "Ice cream."

"Only if you stay really quiet and do everything I say just how I say. Deal?" Dësmã waits feeling the rush of tense energy coursing through her body. It's only a moment but it feels like years before Sully slowly sticks out his small hand and nods.

They shake on it but even that doesn't relieve the anxiety and fear. Instead she motions for him to follow her quietly. They crawl across the beams with Dësmã stopping for Sully to climb on her back when they reach the part that's only beams and insulation. The window isn't a window; it's a square piece of metal resembling a blind. Keeping Sully securely on her back she uses the screw driver conveniently left in the little niche to remove the screws.

It's a matter of minutes, the square piece comes off with hardly a sound and Dësmã takes a cautious peek into the night. The roof is pitched at an angle that provides cover from the street and the back yard. She climbs out after Sully, making sure to keep him secured to the roof.

Dësmã can hear them; men in her back yard, voices she's never heard before. She's never snuck into her house only to sneak out again minutes later.

"Light it up."

Dësmã puts her finger against Sully's mouth cautioning him to be quiet. Footsteps move off, more than one set and she wants to get a look at them.

' _They're setting fire to my house… Mom!'_  she can't hold back the tears so she hides her face from Sully. She drags in a breath before scooping her brother into her arms and moving across the roof. She can't go back, not because she's afraid of what she'll find, but because her Mom put Sully's safety in her hands.

If Harper where able to…she would find them. Dësmã just doesn't want to acknowledge the possibility her Mother will never come for them.

"Grab on like this Sully." She threads his little hands through the straps on her jacket, then hooks his little legs around her waist. "Keep your head tucked into me."

He doesn't say a word but she doubts he'll be able to stay quiet once they land. She's never actually jumped with extra weight- another person- attached to her body. The house is eerily silent, the yard…everything around them. She can feel their loss already.

 

_I Met Henry First…_


	2. I Met Henry First...

It's a game.

How much trouble is too much trouble?

So far there hasn't been anything to 'scare them straight'.

Hmph. Like that really makes a difference in the long run.

Most of them still end up in jail, career criminals but that's their choice.

Or they end up dead.

It's the life they want and blame on everyone else; poverty, bad neighborhood, parents… it's about everyone else other than themselves. What's with the lack of responsibility with people?

Sometimes, parents get it right. What they teach their children about right and wrong sticks.

.

Henry makes a great target. He's alone, walking a nearly deserted block very late at night. Both hands are busy, one clutching at the slate-gray coat and the other a black briefcase. He's too cold to notice movement on the street, not that Henry normally pays attention to his surroundings.

There's five of them, their ages varying from seventeen to thirteen, who follow Henry to the subway. He could've taken a cab but that meant he'd wait in the cold night when the subway wasn't far and it would let him off near his hotel. He could stand a two block walk in the cold.

Henry should've taken the cab.

By the time he's stamping tingling feet on the platform waiting for his train the unintelligible voices of the teens registers. Henry glances towards them briefly, one quick glance at each of them bundled into coats and hats. The shrieking blast of a horn shoots out of the tunnel along with a freezing gust of air. Henry huddles into his coat for protection and wonders why coats that cost so much don't come with a built in heater-

"Gimme your wallet!"

Henry's slow – blame the cold or just the audacity of the kid, this pimply faced teenager demanding money from him! And he's flicking a shiny switchblade in his face.

"Dude."

Henry glances at the other kids but none make a move to stop pimples from taking another step forward.

"What?" Henry's brow furrows, his voice is a little shaky.

"Dude, let's go!"

"Your money!" the punk yells again. "Give it to me!"

Henry stumbles back-skinny as the kid might be, he's still got some strength.

"Leave him."

Henry spots the young girl coming to his defense; a coat two sizes too big for her small frame, a black knit cap covering her head and a scarf in shades of gray wrapped around her neck. She yanks on the teenager with the switchblade barely moving him at all. Henry, again, is slow to react when the teen turns on her brandishing the knife, his voice breaking on threats.

She tries to hide the wince but Henry sees it and the grip the punk has on her arm. She doesn't say another word. No excuse for being out with the looser trying to steal from innocent people- who should know better than to be out this late in certain areas of the city.

There's no terrible home-life, no 'trauma' for the choices she's making. She's unhappy with the situation and simply  _chooses_  to make a bad decision and when she sneaks into her room knowing her Mother will be waiting she makes no excuse, doesn't try lying, and doesn't even argue. It wouldn't change anything…

Henry makes a grab at the punk. There's a struggle. The kids freeze; just a moment, watching Henry tumble off the platform to land on the rails.

"Go!"

That one syllable is enough to get them moving, running feet pounding up the stairs and as far from the rich white guy about to get shredded by the subway train.

"Oh krap…" she doesn't run, not because she doesn't want to but because the old guy needs to get up or else. "Hey! Get up!!" she yells and screams but he's looking all around like he doesn't recognize where he is. "The train is coming!!! You have to get up!!"

Edward can't make out where he is, can barely get his eyes to focus and he's nauseous. But he can hear. There's a train coming and he scrambles to reach the voice calling him, yelling at him, demanding he get up.

' _I'm not about to die here.'_  Not after all the dangerous missions…

"Come on!"

Edward feels the sharp tugs on his coat and helps pull himself up. The cold breeze finds its way through the heavy coat to bite at his skin.

"Can you hear me?"

"Yeah," Edward snarls brushing the tentative hands away from his face. "Where am I?"

"New York."

Edward doesn't miss the hesitation nor the fact the voice is much too young. He pries his eyes open and squints at the girl clutching his coat in one hand.

"Shouldn't you be in bed somewhere?" Edward snaps.

She rolls her eyes and starts to help him up no matter that Edward would rather just lie there and take a nap. He knows better. So he gets up and grudgingly uses the girl as his crutch to get back onto the street where  _she_ hails them a cab. It drops them at a hospital Edward would rather not go in but he's got no intel on a mission which means that maybe Edward isn't supposed to be Edward yet.

' _Shit.'_ He groans to himself.  _'I'm not about to puke.'_

"Mr. Spivey?"

That makes the situation clearer and the nurse keeps talking to him while he's wondering if anyone knows he's awake….

 .


	3. A Return

It's busy as usual when Henry arrives for work. He has an appointment with Dr. Skinner first thing and he's ushered into the elevator without fail. Once in her office he takes the usual seat, smiles and tries not to feel anxious because there's nothing to be anxious about.

' _Except for the hours I'm missing that I can't remember.'_

"How are you feeling, Henry?" Nora sits down; her brown eyes skimming over him as she leans back with her hands crossed over her lap.

"Good." He tries another smile.

"You've had an … interesting trip." She notes and her eyes move towards his head. Henry reaches behind and lightly skims his hand over the spot where he can still feel the bump.

"Nothing to worry about." He assures putting his hand down. "The doctors said there's no permanent damage. Not even a concussion."

"That's good." Nora smiles but she's still looking at him as though it's not all.

"It was an accident." Henry says with a shrug. He's kind of embarrassed to admit a scrawny teenager tried to mug him.

"So I take it you'll be using a cab from now on." Nora chuckles lightly when he admits that. Henry laughs and nods agreement.

"I've learned my lesson."

"So… what happened, Henry?" she's digging though Henry doesn't realize it- not really.

He sits, eyes dropping to the glass table between them and tries to remember that night. How it had been so cold he'd wished his coat had come with a heater.

" _You fucking deaf!"_

The scrawny kid… the whistle of the subway train ….

" _Leave him." She grabbed at the scrawny teens arm. The shiny blade flashing between them and Henry… he moved without thinking about it. That girl… she could've been his Jack. So Henry grabbed the scrawny punk and his arm-. It felt like fire and then … nothing-_

" _Come on! Please! Get up!"_

_Henry had confused her voice for just a second. Maybe it was the high pitched tone- the same one he'd hear at home when Ruthy would wail if she didn't get what she wanted. But this voice held a note of fear in it…_

"You didn't report any of them to the police." It's an observation that draws his eyes up from the glass. "Why, Henry?"

"They're just kids…" it's lame. They both know it but Henry just doesn't know why he didn't, can't really remember anything aside from the girl's voice yelling for him to get up and the whistle of the train. But he doesn't want to say anything to Dr. Skinner.

"The boy was going to take your money." Nora points out. "He threatened you with a knife and cut your arm-."

"It was an accident." Henry cuts in.

"Because you were trying to protect the girl who tried to help you."

"Yes," Henry frowns, he's trying to remember what she looked like- not that it makes a difference- but he can't really see her… just her voice- she had sounded ready to cry, his head had been pounding…

"That's it?" Nora's brow furrows. "You don't remember anything else? Never saw the girl after?"

But Henry shakes his head 'No', there's nothing else from the moment he fell on the track to later when he woke up being examined by the doctor. But he doesn't tell her that, not sure why…

"I must have passed out a couple of times." Henry admits.

Nora doesn't like what she's hearing but wipes the frown from her expression as Henry sits forward.

"Don't worry." Nora assures. "It's not unusual. You hit your head after all." She smiles but the problem with this is that it's not  _just_  Henry's head.

.

Harper can't stop playing with the ID in her hands. She flips it over and turns it around but the face staring back at her…

' _He's not dead.'_

But he pretended to die. There's no way to ignore that one important fact.

There was just something always missing, a bit of him she couldn't reach, that he wouldn't share of himself.

"Mom!"

She wipes her tears and the ID is hidden in the back pocket of her jeans. She doesn't know where it came from or why and right now, she doesn't want to ask.

"Mom!"

"Up here." She flips the sheets down and throws the comforter on the bed, smoothing it out just as the footsteps reach the door. "You're supposed to make your bed every morning. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"But you make it when I don't."

Just like that, annoyance and frustration with her daughter and the reasoning behind  _not_  doing her chores.

 


	4. Trouble in Disguise

He's got nice wheels.

Jack.

Watching him from the street, through the Dojo's window, Dësmã feels anger churning in her gut. That's why she walks into the building and signs up for the advanced class. She ignores the curious stares, the not so unusual smirks and the disdain. Typically male reactions and each and everyone is going to drop their jaw.

_'Dumb boys and their egos.'_

All those years with Grazê and his family- all of them professional MMA fighters with a gym and everything. Out of the loosers Harper brought in to Dësmã's life… Grazê had been the only one to secure a little slice of her heart, the daughter that wasn't his by blood.

"Mind if I join?" Dësmã stops just off the mat and calmly ignores Jack in favor of the man sparring with the teen. Thoughts of Grazê and Sully's unhappy face pushed aside because she's finally found what she's been looking for her whole life. Even when she didn't realize it's what she was looking for.

He looks her over – as expected – and smiles. "Sure, try the kid first."

Jack stumbles a step forward from the strong 'pat' on his shoulder. He offers a crooked smile Dësmã ignores.

"Take it easy, Jack."

He nods and bows as expected. When he looks up, Dësmã has a soft smile on her face that makes him uneasy.

"…easy peasy…" Dësmã murmurs. She waits for Jack to strike but it takes him a little motivation. So she moves in, the fist raised towards her barely has any force behind it. She grabs Jack's wrist, turns her back into his front and jabs her elbow into his sternum. Jack lets out an explosion of breath, doubling over only Dësmã twists his arm in a way that has him flipping over her head.

He blinks. Dësmã is standing over him. "Jack, is it?"

He nods and drags in a breath.

"I'm going to kick your ass, Jackie." She smiles holding out her hand to help him up.

.

The soft purr of the engine idles as Dësmã pulls up to the curb. The bet was easy to make- boys and their egos- it never fails. And the keys are hers…

 _'Wonder how he's going to explain it to dear old Dad.'_  Her laugh isn't amused.

The school bell rings and Dësmã gets out to walk along the fence. Kids stream out of the main building, their shouts and cries reminding her of Sully.

Dësmã keeps her hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket. She can feel the stiff plastic cutting into her hand. The same one her Mom had found stuffed under her mattress on one of those cleaning fits of hers. Finding it again among the few things of her Mom's that survived the fire… Dësmã realizes Harper had to have known about him.

Taking the wallet had been one of those things she couldn't explain. They needed to pay the cab somehow and she hadn't had any money on her- she had been 13!

_'I shouldn't have been out anyway.'_

But she'd been standing there staring at the bills in his wallet debating… steal it or leave it.

The nurse had startled her, and Dësmã grabbed the bills along with the plastic cards- one of them his ID.

It takes Dësmã a little bit but she finally spots the little girl with light brown hair running with a few other kids chasing the ball.

She looks so happy… Dësmã feels the sting in her eyes. She can remember what that had felt like. When Harper had been married to Grazê –

The bell rings and she waits for the kids to get picked up at the end of the day.

Dësmã sits, watching soccer Mom vans and SUV's in a steady line pull up to the school. It's the white one the little girl gets into and as they pull into the street, Dësmã gets a glimpse of the woman driving it.

_'They look nothing alike.'_

Dësmã's not sure what she had been expecting. But it's not what she saw.

.

Dësmã stands on the sidewalk. She's debating whether to go in or leave.

The house is nice- very suburban, middle-class with its white picket fence. Had it been his idea?

She saw them walk in; the woman and the little girl. She's about Sully's age, maybe older and what the hell is she still doing standing there? Why not go home?

_'They're safer without me.'_

And she doesn't acknowledge the second car pulling into the drive way. But the man hesitating is definitely the one she met 7years ago.

Henry walks towards her, his suit jacket hanging over his arm, the briefcase in his hand. "Can I help you?" he's leery of strangers but the girl seems too young to be a threat from the Company. He's broken- Henry or Edward, they never know which one is going to be present or when.

"Edward Albright." Dësmã doesn't miss the shock on his face or the fear ghosting over his features and the shift in his stance. The way he glances towards the house and the family inside-  _his_  family.

"No," Henry shakes his head. "You're mistaken." He can't let anyone else know, because if the higher ups aren't sure then there's a chance that it can all be fixed and no one gets hurt.

"That's right." Dësmã nods. She turns towards him, her eyes never leaving his face. He's older for sure but he still looks like the man in the subway station she had to drag to the hospital. "You're Henry Spivey. 'Born' December of '89. Middle-class efficiency expert for AJ Sun Consulting. You're the VP of Strategic Management."

Henry blinks, has to clamp his jaw shut because he's surprised she knows anything about him.

"Google works." Dësmã elucidates. He still doesn't seem able to work up any words. "I Googled Edward as well. Interesting read. Henry's a bit boring – to the point and not much else."

"Who are you?" Henry is worried- not sure if she's a spy or something else because she's just too young for the kind of life Edward lives. But they- _someone_ \- knows something is wrong with him, the threats…? Why bother with games if they wanted him dead? "What do you want?"

"Why did you kill yourself?" she's curious and angry and there's no way he doesn't hear it in her voice. "What was so important you left her like she was nothing?"

"I don't know…what you're talking about." He glances over his shoulder towards the house hoping that Angie doesn't decide to come outside and find out why he hasn't walked in yet. "I don't know any Edward-."

"I read the letters!" Dësmã's voice rises and Henry takes another step towards her. "All of them and I know you loved her so tell me why!"

Henry's trying really hard to keep his cool but the girl isn't making it easy. "I don't know who you're talking about!"

"My Mother you jack-ass!" Dësmã yells. "Your high school sweetheart." She jabs her finger at his chest, glaring. "The girl you left pregnant 20years ago!"

"What?" Henry's shock is laughably genuine. But then anger colors that because how the hell did Edward forget to mention that? No one bothered to tell Henry-  _does_  Edward know?

"Dad?"

Henry jerks around to find his son too close not to have heard what the girl had been yelling at him.

"What are you doing here?" Jack glances nervously past his Dad to Dësmã hoping the car doesn't come up.

"Jack- wait." Henry looks between the kids and frowns. "You know – how do you know each other?" because right now his anxiety is spiking to dangerous levels.  _'How does Edward do this!?'_

"Little brother was nice enough to lend me his wheels for the day." Dësmã doesn't take her eyes from Henry's face.

"Brother?" Jack echoes in shock. He's got the purpling bruise on his cheek from the sparring session earlier.

"Yeah, Jackie." Dësmã turns to the teen. "Before Henry was Henry, he was Edward Albright. My-." She scoffs, shaking her head. "NO.  _You've_ never been my Dad. I know what one is supposed to be like." Dësmã chucks the keys to Jack and turns away from them with Grazê and Sully in her mind. They had been her family and Grazê more of a Father than Dësmã had wanted to admit. She shouldn't have looked for Edward.

_'What did I expect?'_

Of course he would deny her. He has everything to lose by acknowledging her – a new family he prefers to whatever life he'd deserted with Harper.

"Wait!" Jack drops his back pack and hurries past his Dad to grab at Dësmã.

She's angry. She beat up on him before just because he's had the same Dad his whole life. Because she feels cheated out of a Dad – the one that should have always been hers. And what does Dësmã get?

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Henry drops his suit jacket and brief case as the girl punches Jack. She knees his stomach and then twists his arm- which puts Jack between Henry and her- before she kicks him into the fence. It breaks under Jack's weight and he lands in the rose bushes.

"Jack!"

Dësmã looks up and catches sight of the woman- Henry's suburban wife- hurrying out the front door and across the lawn. The curtains twitch and Dësmã can see the pale face watching from inside. The little girl about Sully's age and she hates to feel shame-

Henry takes a deep breath. He looks at Dësmã, ignoring Angie demanding to know why he's allowing some strange girl to beat up their son. He almost wants to laugh but the situation is just so ridiculous... "You're not safe."

Dësmã laughs, blinking furiously to get rid of the tears threatening to spill over. "Got that super clear. 'Dad'." Dësmã adds a mock salute that ends with flipping him the bird. She starts to turn away, "Hey," she never looks at his wife but she's listening. "Nice of you to ask about Mom. She's dead. Just FYI, so you don't call her to bitch about how I ruined your nice suburban family experience." She walks off, blinking the tears that obscure her vision. She can hear them arguing but their voices fade the further she gets and once around the corner she starts to run.

.

 _"Did you happen to forget to mention a really important fact? Like your_ daughter! _"_  Henry grits his teeth, the hand not holding the cell phone digs into his dark hair and grips a fistful.  _"She came here!_ Here! _To my house. Angie's leaving me. And Jack-! Jesus Christ man. Am I going to have to worry about Ruthy turning into some kind of commando? Your daughter tossed my son into the rose bushes!"_  Henry draws a breath, his glare never diminishes.  _"Why didn't you bother looking into it? Because according to your daughter you actually loved someone. I guess you have a heart. Or had one-."_

Edward has enough. There's nothing in Henry's rant that's going to give him any information.

_'Dësmã Albright.'_

He has a name … and he can't believe Harper used his last name for the girl. His daughter…

Edward is going to find her.

It isn't safe.

.


	5. Don't You Dare

_He's wearing his uniform and Harper can't stop fussing over him. The last few days have been great- perfect really and Edward's kept his mouth shut. First because he didn't want to ruin the time they had together. Why put a dark cloud over their heads when he could pretend nothing was going to change? And then because it felt wrong to just say it, like this wasn't the hardest part of choosing…_

" _I'm missing you already." Harper pouts, her eyes brightening with gathering tears._

" _You'll find some Executive in a suit to forget all about me." He teases but behind the words is a wish that she can be happy without him._

" _As if that's going to happen." She scoffs. Her hands tighten on his uniform jacket and she tugs him to her eyelevel rising on her toes to plant a soft kiss on and his lips. "You're my forever, Edward." She smiles at him._

_The words are right there. Edward can feel them hanging on the tip of his tongue…_

_He draws her into his arms for a long kiss. This is the end of everything he could've had to be happy…_

.

The table in front of him has print-outs of the newspaper articles. The fire that burned down Dësmã's house and the bodies found inside. The missing kids posters put up for his daughter and the boy.

' _She found someone…'_  there's something about knowing that- it sends a spike of jealousy through him, sharp and unexpected. He never told Harper because he figured it would be easier on her. To forget him and move on and it was easier to disappear into Henry after completing his missions. Easier to fuck Nora and pretend there wasn't someone taking up every inch of his heart that prevented him from contemplating making a life as Edward that didn't include killing.

But it hadn't been a 'happily ever after' for Harper.

Edward wonders if she really tried to move on after he 'died'. Or had she given up on that dream of family and the white picket fence they had talked about…

The phone rings pulling him out of memories and the thoughts of what this means. The fire wasn't an accident… Like the car accident that killed his parents hadn't been an accident.

Why had Dësmã been allowed to live?

.

The more she thinks about 'Henry' and his family, the more she gets angry with herself- What had she been expecting? A warm welcome? A reunion with her Father? An explanation!

Yes to all of those and then some and she had done this to herself which fueled her anger already burning hot enough.

Edward had gone to all the trouble of changing his name, faking his death and Henry certainly wasn't going to welcome her with open arms.

But why?

Why couldn't Edward tell her why he had left them?

Why had Harper never said anything after she found Henry's license in her room?

What had been so important- more important- Edward gave up a life with them?

Dësmã hasn't gotten any answers and the apartment door slams loudly. It draws Jared from the kitchen, his head cautiously poking out of the narrow doorway.

"Shut. Up." Dësmã warns as she paces the length of the living room.

Jared closes his mouth and hesitates disappearing into the kitchen again or… daring the living room. Dësmã cuts her pacing and strides towards him purposely. She fists a handful of his shirt and yanks him out of the kitchen and with her towards the bedroom.

"Dës…?" he's seen her angry before and he's careful. "Baby, what's-."

She pulls him around and shoves against his chest backing him up to the bed. "Don't be nice." She warns, pulling her shirt over her head and tossing it aside.

.

Angie is angry and hurt and confused and she's never going to forgive Henry for this.

"Never." She grits her teeth and wipes the tears from her face before taking out her anger on the dishes because if she goes upstairs she's only going to shred all of Henry's clothes. 

And she's not going to stoop to that level no matter how badly she wishes she could get her hands on the lying cheating bastard and –

The plate shatters against the refrigerator, her angry scream muffled into her other hand.

Jack leans up against the wall and closes his eyes. He doesn't know what's going on and his Dad hadn't been able to explain anything to them.

He recognized her from the dojo.

Dësmã.

" _I'm going to beat you up, Jackie."_

She had warned him.

' _Sister…'_

Did Henry have a love child? Was Dësmã really his sister?

What were they supposed to think when Henry didn't want to call the police and yet still vehemently denied Dësmã was his.

But they've all noticed Henry's behavior the last few months and more the past couple of weeks. How strange it is and his unexplained anxiety.

.

The sun paints the bedroom with its sunset and Jared finally makes a move to get up.

"Stay in tonight." Dësmã's grip tightens and Jared settles in behind her, his hand playing with her hair.

"Dës…" he smiles but she's not letting go. "There's this thing I do called work, baby. It's how I manage to keep you in such nice digs." He teases though his eyes run over the run down room with an inward grimace. It's cramped and ugly yet somehow Dësmã has made it feel cozy.

But Jared has been saving for a new place, something nicer to surprise her with.

"Just tonight." Dësmã whispers cuddling into him and shifting her grip on his arm. Without Jared to distract her, the night is going to be long and all she's going to do is think about Henry/Edward and what happened today.

"Wiggling your ass at my dick isn't going to pay the rent." Jared says in his best stern tones that loose any weight because he rubs up on her backside too.

"I've got some extra cash-."

"No." Jared quickly shuts that down and not only because it's her money. "I'm not living on pb&j and ramen, Dës." He shakes his head, smiling into her hair.

"You're such a girl." Dësmã mutters, rolling her eyes. She feels Jared's hand cupping her chin. The gentle force he uses to get her to look at him.

"You wanna tell me what happened earlier?" he spots the slight widening of her eyes and the quick inhalation of breath that tells him what she doesn't.

"We had amazing sex." Dësmã tries a shrug restricted by Jared's arm pinned around her. "You were there." She points out trying to manage a smile to tease him with.

He waits, hoping she's going to put down that wall she has around anything that touches too close on personal or emotional. It's been a year and he still knows very little about her past or her family and it's not like she's an open book…

Jared's kiss is gentle, a soft pressure accompanied by the light caress of his fingers along her cheek. "Liar." He whispers placing a line of gentle kisses down her jaw, to her neck and shoulder. " _This_  is amazing sex."

Dësmã feels him pushing between her legs and Jared slides his hand down to her thigh, fingers digging into her skin as he fills her.

"Jared…. I want you on top of me." Dësmã breathes tugging on his arm. He ignores that, turns her face down into the bed, kissing her shoulder and down her back. He moves slow, long strokes, hips pushing against her ass…

He sits up, hands griping her waist, pulling her to her knees. Dësmã cries out with the feel of him inside her. She gets a sharp slap on her ass that stings and when she looks at him over her shoulder Jared has a wicked smile.

"Hands on the wall." He orders moving so she's close enough. His hands travel up along her sides and around to cup her breasts. His movements still maddeningly slow, biting on her shoulder and neck…

Dësmã closes her eyes, forehead resting on the wall – she's unexpectedly yanked around, eyes flying wide with surprise as she straddles Jared.

"Take me as deep as you want, baby." His smile is crooked, hands cupping her ass and his breathing uneven. She's riding him, moving her hips with his, their eyes locked and she notes there's a lot of green in his dark hazel eyes. He's not at all what she expected and more than she imagined. Tall, broad shouldered- he's a big guy, muscles that anyone would notice even with his clothes on. And she has never once felt threatened by him, just the opposite. Jared has always been careful with her, in their bed and out of it.

Jared leans forward to lay her down, his weight on his forearms. He knows she likes him on top, her fingers digging into his sides trying to pull him closer.

"Jared…" her voice quavers, breaths panting past her lips and her hips thrusting against him with urgency.

"Harder?" he breathes into her ear accompanying the question with action. "Like this, Dësmã…"

"…yes!..." she bites her lip but it doesn't stop her moaning for long. They both feel it, like a taut string ready to break, quivering with tension…

Jared's careful not to crush her, their hearts beating in tandem as their breaths pant out of their mouths.

"Uh-huh." Dësmã blinks up at him, her breathing still ragged. "Amazing." She manages to say and gets a breathless chuckle from Jared.

He rolls off her, lying on his side next to her. "I'd never have believed you were a 20year old virgin." He says without thinking.

"You're just lucky I gave it up so easy." Dësmã teases, turning her head to look at him. Harper had given her that 'Birds and the Bees' talk when she'd turned 13. A little late maybe considering what kids her age were doing. But Dësmã remembers it, how she had said when it was time Dësmã would know. She would feel it when the right guy came along and it would be special because that's how it was supposed to be…

Dësmã had always wondered if her Mother had felt that way with Edward.

"Why did you?" Jared asks. The question is out before he really thinks about it. It could go either way; Dësmã opens up, or…. She'll change the subject.

Her eyes search out his face, her hand tracing along his jaw and her mouth has the ghost of a smile. "Because you're sweet."

Jared's not sure he likes what that means.

"And you wouldn't leave me out there, a complete stranger." She adds.

"It was raining!" he protests. "I wasn't about to let you wander around. You could've … caught a cold." He finishes lamely because he knows she hates when he gets over protective.

Dësmã giggles, her hand lightly smacking his shoulder. "And that's why I love you." Her smile is wiped off quickly. She sits up, frowning because does she? Did she mean those three words? How would she know if she did?

"Don't freak out on me, Dësmã." Jared twines his hand with hers pleased when she doesn't pull away.

"I didn't-. I was…." Dësmã stops talking and breathes. "Can I take it back?" she pleads still refusing to look at him.

"What?" Jared almost laughs.

"Just ignore that- that- what I -. I'm just…."

"Freaking out." Jared states with a nod. "Which is why I haven't said it to you."

"Huh?" Dësmã turns to him, confused and still wishing she could erase the last 2minutes.

"The hottest girl I've seen walks into my shitty bar. I get her in my bed and I'm the only guy in her life? Said hot girl wants to stick around afterwards too and you think I'm dumb enough to send her running because I say 'I love you' first?" he arches a dark eyebrow chuckling at her perplexed expression. "Baby, I'm a lot smarter than I look." He cups her face in his hand and kisses her.

"But…" Dësmã pulls back. "You know squat about me!"

"Dës-."

"I'm a total stranger!" she splutters avoiding the kiss he tries for.

"I know how I feel." Jared assures, mildly amused by her protests. "The rest…" he shrugs. "Not so important until it is."

Dësmã frowns, her silence finally broken by an exasperated sigh. "You make no sense."

"Bet you love that too." Jared says having fun teasing her.

"Yeah," she grumbles. "I'm so taking it back."

"Ha!" he pulls her down beside him, grinning. "Try it, sweetheart."

.

Edward sends the call to VM just like he's done to the last 4calls from Nora. He doesn't want to hear it again. That he should ignore his daughter because it's safer for her. Edward knows that's not true. She's been in danger before and maybe she's never been too far from it … and it's because of him.

Whoever killed Harper and burned their house let Dësmã go. Edward still doesn't know why and there are too many possibilities. But he's not leaving her out here alone. She's his.

It's too late to make a different choice, one that doesn't kill Harper and maybe it's not his fault but that doesn't change how Edward feels.

Dësmã is what's left of that life- the one he could've had if only he'd been smarter. If he just hadn't cared so much about finding the truth.

He pulls up around the building where Dësmã lives. It's a krap neighborhood. One of the seedier sides of the city and the building looks run down. There's a fire escape that looks about ready to fall apart.

Edward gets out, scowling at the sorry state of the edifice and the first thing he hears are gun shots.

.

Dësmã wakes up when she feels Jared get out of bed.

"Stay there." Jared whispers when she sits up.

"What?" she frowns, wipes a hand over her face and pushes back the inky tresses currently in her eyes. She glances at the door and the bat Jared picks up on his way towards it. Their clothes are scattered on the floor but he's wearing his jeans.

"Jared!" her soft hiss stops him and he makes a shushing motion with his hand. He can tell she's not going to listen to him and jabs a finger at their bed, clearly telling her to stay in it.

Dësmã glares. She's not the damsel in distress and yet he still treats her like one when he knows better. He scowls at her when she gets up and grabs the shirt from the floor- his as it happens. She slips it on already reaching for the drawer for a fresh pair of panties she hops into on her way to the door.

Jared gives up trying to keep her in the bedroom and honestly, he's just not sure who he's afraid for more. The person breaking in when Dësmã beats the shit of them or for her if she takes it too far.

They're careful opening the door and Jared is thankful he fixed the squeaking hinges Dësmã had complained about the week before. He peeks out into the hallway glaring at her when Dësmã slips across and fits herself to the bathroom entrance located a few feet from the kitchen doorway.

She motions him forward because they can hear footsteps in the living room.

Jared tries pulling her behind him but she shakes him off. When he tries again they both see the shadow coming out of the kitchen.

Dësmã spots the gun and grabs the arm holding it. She pushes it up, away from her or Jared and it goes off. She can hear someone else in the living room when Jared swings his bat. The first one lands in the kitchen and Dësmã gets hauled towards the bedroom again. They run, adrenaline coursing through them both. She hears the second gunshot echo in the hallway and Jared shoves into her hard. Both stumble into the bedroom where Jared slams the door shut and grabs the nightstand to use as a barricade.

"Out! Now Dës!" he's bleeding from his left shoulder where the bullet clipped him.

Dësmã feels disconnected from everything. She can hear Jared, see him point to the window, and feel when he grabs her and starts for the fire escape…

" _I love you both, Dës. Keep your brother safe. Get him out of here, far from here. Not the neighbors. Find Grazê. Go to him."_

Was it the same men?

Jared shoves the window open pushing Dësmã onto the fire escape.

.

Edward spots them on the fire escape easily. A girl and a big guy and he scowls because it looks like a bat…

"Hit the street running, Dës!"

Edward draws his gun running towards the ladder never taking his eyes off them. He can't do anything about what happens next but he moves faster when the guy falls over Dësmã. Without her in the way, Edward has a clear shot at the man coming out onto the fire escape.

"Jared?" Dësmã's voice wavers and her hand comes away wet but she avoids looking anywhere other than his face. "Don't you dare!" she scolds gripping his arm. "Jared! Please…" her voice breaks and her eyes burn.

"Go…" he tries to push her, make her run. He can feel the numbness taking over his body, the cold he thinks might be a breeze.

"NO!" it's a sort of crying whine and she cant ignore the blood staining his mouth.

"Dësmã!" Edward knows she heard him because she looked right at him. But she decides to climb back in the window instead of running to him like he motions her to do. "Damn it."

She's already inside when Edward reaches their window. She's in the way of his shot as the second man comes into the bedroom. But she doesn't hesitate, even with the gun aimed at her face.

Edward's surprised  _she_  attacks him. She's violent, each blow meant to inflict the most damage and pain. Now he's sure those years Harper spent married to the fighter had molded his daughter in ways she might not have approved of. Harper had always been a pacifist though she wouldn't hesitate to fight for a good cause. Or if she was mad.

Dësmã can feel the bone break, she hears the paned scream and doesn't care. She grabs him, both hands wrapped on the material over his shoulders and she hauls him around, head first right into the mirror she'd complained was outdated and had no place on the wall behind their bedroom door.

It shatters, pieces stuck in his face and scalp, more blood on her hands but this time it's not Jared's.

Edward grabs her around the waist, pulling her back but she kicks out and claws at his arm.

"Get off me!" she stumbles when he lets her go and the closest thing she can grab is the little chair she found in a yard sale that Jared had made fun of.

"He's done." Edward states but she brings the chair down, breaking it over his back. She's angry, taking it out on him, grieving though she might not realize it yet.

He can't help but see Harper in their daughter. Even through this rage or maybe more so. They have the same dark hair, soft waves that curl when it's wet. She's just as petite, maybe just a bit taller than Harper had been. It's in her face as well, along the curve of her jaw and the shape of her eyes. He can't tell yet, if they're the same shade or a combination of both…

"Dësmã." She doesn't acknowledge him at all. She doesn't wipe the tears sliding down her cheeks either and she doesn't move. So he walks around her, kicks at the body earning a groan he cuts short with a bullet. Even that doesn't get a reaction from her. "Get some clothes."

He leaves her to check the rest of the apartment but it was just those two. There's no mess, nothing to suggest it had been a burglary and he knows those men weren't thieves.

Edward fins her still in the same spot, her breathing more controlled. He opens drawers and throws clothes at her. "Move!" he barks the order and that jerks her out of her head.

Dësmã turns to the closet where she grabs her duffle bag- the same one she had on her the night Jared offered to let her sleep on his couch.

She grabs whatever's hanging in front of her, his clothes and hers, and stuffs them into the bag. Her hands shake, she slips on her jeans and grabs her boots ignoring the laces.

"Let's go." Edward grabs her bag and heads to the window but Dësmã runs out to the living room. She hears him curse and doesn't care. She grabs the frame-a picture box that has all that was recovered from the fire.

In the bedroom, Edward watches Dësmã shove the bed frame, reach under and come out with another box. She doesn't look back once and on the fire escape Edward blocks her view of the dead boyfriend. "Keep moving." He orders when she stops and forcibly shoves her past.

Dësmã stumbles, her hand latching onto the rail, her breaths coming in short gasps she forces back to normal and the tears in her eyes sting once more. She grabs her duffle out of his hand and stuffs both boxes into it before tying it. At the last level she tosses over the side before jumping over.

Edward almost grabs her but she lands lightly, rolling into the fall and gets to her feet without harm. He takes the shorter drop onto the dumpster and then to the ground. He doesn't see anyone lurking in the corners but that doesn't mean they're safe. They hear the sirens once he gets her in the car.

Edward drives away, avoiding the police cars possibly heading to her apartment. He glances at her out of the corner of his eye but she hasn't said a word. She's not questioning anything and he wonders if maybe she's in shock. Anyone else would have been scared- they'd be wary of him because of the ease with which he killed the man she beat up.

But Dësmã isn't asking anything, she's not reacting at all.

.


	6. Without a Plan

Jack has called Henry a couple of times and Edward sends the next one to VM as well. Its going to be the same as the one before though maybe a little angrier. The kid wants to know if Dësmã is his sister. Why Henry never thought to mention it… Henry's in deep shit with his family.

The thought would make Edward laugh if his daughter weren't sleeping fitfully on his couch. She's curled up in the corner, not a word said.

He grabs his cell phone, fiddling with it watching her sleep.

.

Henry wakes up in Edward's apartment. He stands up, leaving the piano and spots the girl asleep on the couch. She's dreaming- not something nice by the looks of her. He picks up the cell phone looking for the video he knows Edward left him. It's a short one, to the point and Henry has his orders; to keep Dësmã from leaving the apartment. No matter what.

She's definitely in trouble, after the night she's had and Henry can barely wrap his mind around what Edward says happened.

He wanders out of the living room and finds all the clippings neatly printed out. Articles about arson and murder and things that Henry never had to deal with before Edward started 'waking up' when he wasn't supposed to.

Someone knows they aren't completely 100%. Someone sent people to kill the girl but they got her boyfriend instead…

Edward still doesn't have all the answers but he's working on a plan.

"Great." Because that's exactly what scares Henry. A plan set in place by Edward that will probably have to be executed by Henry… how many times are they going to get lucky and survive? And there was no mention of an apology for screwing with Henry's life. No acknowledgement whatsoever and that was pissing Henry off more. His marriage is ruined because of Edward and the fucking chip in their head.

He glares at the couch in the other room. "How the hell do I keep her from leaving?"

.

She remembers the fire. How it had run through her house, consuming it in minutes. The feel of the ground shaking under her feet when the explosion lit up the night, the vibrations through her chest from the sound. Sully's incessant questions and the strength in his little hands and feet as he fought to get out of her arms. Her own tears blinding her as she ran through back yards and alleys without a direction except to put distance between them and the men who torched their lives.

' _Mom…'_

But she gets Sully to Grazê just like Harper told her to do. The one thing her Mother had asked that Dësmã didn't protest or fight about and she wants to cry because Harper had to die …

' _Mom…'_

It's the falling sensation that wakes her before she completely slides off the couch.

"It's alright." Henry assures moving towards her when she looks around, tense and ready to run or fight. He's not sure which but he's leaning towards the fighting. She is Edward's after all. "You're safe here."

Dësmã ignores him, looks around pushing what she knows to the back of her mind where it can't hurt her, where she can pretend it's not part of her reality.

"What happened last night?" Henry moves cautiously behind her as she fidgets and paces through the apartment. "Let us try and help-."

"Us?" Dësmã turns on him. "Us who?" she snaps. "Your suburban housewife? Your son the wanna be karate kid? The little one, then. Your little girl? What is she? Some super spy kid? This is Nickelodeon now?" she's got venom in each word, full of anger and hurt and it's not just Henry sh'se upset over. "Why did you bother with me anyway?" Dësmã stalks to the couch and grabs her duffel.

"I know you're upset." Henry moves to block her way. "And you think I've…abandoned you." He stammers through the wording because it isn't  _him_ she's supposed to blame. "This isn't easy to explain. But I am  _not_  Edward. Alright? I'm not. I'm just…" Henry sighs. He can see she's not listening to him. Its weird how there's bits of Jack in this girl who, technically,  _is_  his simply because she's Edward's and aren't they one and the same?

"I get it." Dësmã works her jaw, trying not to keep it clenched. "You're some spook. Why else pretend to be dead when Edward Albright had all the makings of a successful career. So yeah, I get that something bigger is at work here. I know my Mom didn't fit into whatever the hell you are now." She pushes Henry out of her way and grabs the picture box frame and Jared's box. "So do that again. Vanish from my life and pretend you don't know I exist."

"You can't leave." Henry hurries around the couch and stands in her way.

"You can't stop me." Dësmã stalks to the front door shoving through him again with more force.

"You're not safe, Dësmã." Henry blocks the entryway, hands braced on either side of the short little hall.

"Get out of my way before I make you."

Henry believes it. There's conviction in every word, anger and hurt radiating from her stance- he saw her toss Jack like it was a fly she was brushing out of her way. "You have to stay here."

"Too late to play at being Dad 'Henry'." Dësmã shifts her grip on the duffel noting the nervous glance he gives her. "I've done well on my own so don't think last night makes any difference. Now  _move._ "

Jack calls again and Henry is torn between the two; answering the call he knows is going to be full of questions he cannot answer and probably shouldn't. No…

Dësmã is surprised he sends the call to VM. "What, not keen on fessing up to your family? I bet your housewife-."

"Angie." Henry cuts in, his tone sharp enough to silence her a moment. He's not sure it's smart to engage her but he's annoyed with Edward for this mess they're all in.

Dësmã grabs the picture of her Mom and shoves it at Henry's face. "You left her 20years ago. No explanation-  _mourning_  for you! She told me stories-!" those tears start to fall and the last thing she wants is to cry in front of him. "Get out of my way because I don't need a bat to do it." She threatens.

Henry sighs, frustrated- how is he supposed to fix Edward's mess? "Where are you going to go?"

Dësmã sucks in a breath. She hadn't planned or even thought past getting out of Edward's apartment. But she's not alone. There's a family that still wants her, that asked her not to go.

" _You aren't safe."_

She would curse him out but Henry is right about that. She has a million questions, a dead boyfriend … maybe it was the same people who burned down her house with her Mom inside. "I've had 21years without you." Dësmã states shoving him hard and moving to the door. "Don't try and play Dad to me-."

"Whatever happened last night-. I'm sure people will be looking for you-." Henry is practically begging by now because he doesn't know what's going to make her stay and he's not about to try and physically restrain her. He is not Edward.

"Why do you speak of it like you weren't there?" Dësmã glares at him, pausing with her hand on the door. "As if you didn't come in there all 'special ops' to 'rescue' me."

Henry does not appreciate her sarcasm but at least he's stalling her. Anxiety is going to kill him sooner than a bullet if things keep going on like this. And what does he tell her? What can he say about the chip in their head, the program and Janus- is it really Henry who should tell her? Is it safe? But someone already tried to kill her…

"Your Mom-."

"Is  _DEAD!!_ " Dësmã screams. She drags in a breath, hating having lost what little composure she has been able to keep up until then. "She's none of your business anymore and neither am I. Have a nice life." She yanks on the door and slams into it.

Henry breathes a sigh of relief when she keeps struggling with it and can't get it open.  _'Thank you, Edward.'_

"Open it." Dësmã drops her duffel and the boxes in her arm. "Right fucking now. You can't keep me locked in here."

Henry quickly backs up into the living room. "Apparently I can." He would smile but it's in his best interest to keep his distance from the pissed off 'ninja master' who happens to be his daughter, in a way. "I can't open it. Not- I mean-." He grabs his head wishing Edward would just take over. "I'm just an efficiency expert." He mutters.

.

Nora knows better. She should not be in the building let alone in the control room. There's a team in play. Trumbull wants Edward dead and Nora is an idiot for caring too much about what happens to him.

"Tom Grady is going to sleep." Nora murmurs under her breath, the cell phone already in her hand, the short text sent. It takes less than a second and she is up, out of the chair and striding out of the door waiting for the ringing line to pick up. "Raymond."

" _Why am I up?"_  he doesn't sound pleased and the noise in the background alerts her to the presence of his family, or rather, Tom's family.

"You need to get Edward. There's a team in the field-." Nora quickly hangs up. Trumbull is waiting in her office. She tries to keep her composure as she walks in, her smile is strained and her heart is poundimg like a drum.

"Nora, Nora, Nora…" Trumbull leans back in her chair comfortably, the smile on his face not the least comforting.

She does not get a word out before the door opens behind her and the cold metal touches the back of her neck. He is still smiling when the bullet severs her brain stem and she slowly drops to her knees.

.


	7. What The Hell Is This?

Dësmã hasn't moved from the couch or stopped glaring at Henry. "Just answer the God damned phone." Its been ringing like crazy the past hour.

Henry is ready to send it to VM when he sees the screen. "Tom?" he frowns and gets a grumbled order to come out of his 'Bat Cave'. "Raymond." Henry sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

" _You're in need of a Guardian Angel, Henry. Now where the hell are you?"_

"I … can't say. Exactly." Henry hedges. Its Edward's hide-out and he's pretty particular about 'his things'.

" _Hey, I'm awake because your sorry ass needs back-up."_

"Wait, who woke you?" Henry stands up, pacing without realizing it and he does that a lot, lately.

" _Dr. Skinner. She hung up before she gave me details but there is a team looking for you. Now are you going to tell me where you are? Or are you hoping Ed's going to wake up and save your ass?"_

"Angie." Henry breathes. "Get Angie!" he hangs up and runs for the door completely forgetting about the daughter he's not supposed to let out of his sight.

"What the hell- hey!" Dësmã stands up. "You-!" she hurries after him and out the open door he said he couldn't open. "Damn fucking spy shit." She hits the panel by the handle on her way out and Henry is just starting down the stairs. "What happened to not being able to open the door?"

"You." Henry pauses mid step and starts up the stairs again. "You're coming with me." He grabs her hand and starts down with Dësmã stumbling behind him.

"Let go before I make you!" she yells and grabs onto the railing when she misses a step.

"My family is in danger. Do you understand?" Henry snaps. "I need to get home and make sure they don't end up like your Mother."

So maybe it's not the best choice of words but she's not yelling or struggling against him anymore. In the garage, he pats himself hurriedly, looking for the keys to Edward's Chevy. "Get in." he orders and Dësmã pauses, watching him fumble the keys before getting into the driver side.

In the car she doesn't want to talk to him but the way he shoves around trying to get comfortable in the same seat she saw him slide into with ease the night before leaves her confused. "What's wrong with you?"

Henry ignores her and starts the car. It stalls on him as soon as he tries to give it gas.

"Get out." Dësmã unbuckles and jumps out of the Chevy. "Get out. I'm not about to let you drive this with two left feet." She grabs his shoulder and 'helps' him move.

"Can you drive-?" Henry scrambles into the passenger seat, anxious.

"Better than you were going to." Dësmã pulls out of the garage smoothly. She's driving faster than she should and still it isn't fast enough for Henry. She keeps glancing at him, confused about the sudden changes and there's more than one. "What's wrong with you?"

"My family is in danger." Henry retorts.

"You mentioned it." Dësmã dead pans. "I meant…you're different. You didn't have a problem driving last night. Now you're clutso extraordinaire?"

"I am not  _Edward._ " Henry spits through his clenched teeth. "I don't know how else to tell you so you understand."

"Never mind." Dësmã turns her attention to the street and soon enough she's pulling into an empty spot in front of Henry's suburban house.

He's out of the car and in the house yelling for Angie and the kids before Dësmã even turns off the engine. She could leave; he wouldn't even realize she was gone…

' _He came for me when he didn't have to.'_

All Henry is worried about now is keeping his family safe.

.

Angie has a pile of Henry's clothes dumped in the foyer, clothes he trips over in his haste to make sure they are all safe.

"Angie! Jack!" Henry calls kicking past the clothes and moving towards the staircase. "Ruthy!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Angie comes out of the laundry room, still angry and with fresh tears hastily wiped away.

"Oh God, Angie." Henry sighs with relief and pulls her into his arms. "Ow!"

"Get the hell out." Angie shoves at him harder, her palm jabbing his ribs until he lets go.

"Great. You're all here." Raymond strides in, a large black duffel thunking to the floor between him and Dësmã.

"Tom?" Angie sniffles, her eyes darting to Dësmã and she rounds on Henry. "What the hell is she doing here?" her palm leaves a stinging mark on his cheek. "You can't explain. You  _let_  her hurt our son! You've been gone since yesterday afternoon and you come in here-!" Angie shoves both hands against Henry's chest, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Get out!!"

"Sorry." Raymond cuts in. "Everyone has to go. Right now." He urges bending to open the duffel bag. He reaches in and comes back with a shiny 9mm. "You're Edward's girl, then?" Raymond smiles up at Dësmã who doesn't know how to reply. "You know how to use one of these?"

"I know what end to point at the bad guys. Yes." Dësmã takes it and comfortably ejects the mag before inserting it again and sliding the gun into the waistband of her jeans.

"What are you doing?" Angie demands, wide eyed. "Why do you have a bag full of guns-!"

"Any idea when Edward is going to wake up?" Raymond ignores Angie, his attention on Henry.

"You're joking." Dësmã can't believe Edward would get his friend to lie for him.

"I told you-." Henry grabs his hair and yanks.

"So," Raymond gives a perfunctory smile. "We're spies. We have a chip in our head but Henry, here." He pats Henry's shoulder and continues. "His chip is busted so he goes from Edward the spy to Henry the boring suburbia executive at the worst possible times. Dr. Skinner, our handler, has been aware and she sent me to 'rescue' your Dad because the head of Janus wants him dead. You see, Edward is broken. And Trumbull doesn't like it when his toys malfunction."

There's a brief silence at the end of Raymond's speech.

"What?" Angie manages to gasp.

Henry just sags against the wall. "It's true. I've been trying to tell you I'm not Edward." He says the last to Dësmã.

"Alright, lets save the family reunions and fun for later." Raymond starts shooing Angie towards the stairs. "Grab the kids and let's hit the road."

"Tom-? What-?" Angie stammers.

"I'm Raymond." He cuts in. "Tom is sleeping right now." He turns to Henry who's still grabbing his head like he's got extra hair to replace what he's trying to pull out. "Can you get your wife to move her ass? Hey."

"What the hell are we doing here?" Edward glares. He shoves off the wall and straightens up, his eyes taking in their surroundings and resting on Dësmã. "Damn it. The one thing I asked him to do." He glares.

"Eddy." Raymond smiles with pleasure. "Nice to see you up, buddy. Nora sent me to get you out of the city."

"Why?" Edward gets serious, all business. He's the same man that rescued Dësmã the night before. She can see it now.

"Henry?" Angie questions, confused.

"No, this is Edward." Raymond points out. "Trumbull sent a team for you." He tells Edward.

"And Henry brought my daughter here?" Edward glares. "You let him-."

"Whoa," Raymond holds his hands up, two shiny guns in each one. "I didn't let him do anything."

"Stop with the pissing match." Dësmã orders. "You have Henry's family to think of right now. Those men from last night or this team your boss sent for you is coming here." She looks from the spy's to Angie who still looks confused.

"Where are the kids?" Edward turns to Angie who simply points upstairs. "Get them." He pushes her ahead of him, stumbling up the stairs. "Dësmã, help her." He waves her up and turns to Raymond.

"I'm on it. You get them ready to move." Raymond has his duffel in hand heading to the garage.

.

Jack moves away from the staircase and quietly back to his room. He heard everything but it sounds like something out of Hollywood it just can't be true.

' _No way. No way Dad is a spy!'_

"Pack a bag."

"What is going on?"

"We need to move fast. Dësmã, get the kids ready to go."

"What? No. She is not going anywhere near my kids. Henry!"

There's a struggle- he can hear them-

"Try not to hurt your brother this time."

" _Friggin comedian."_

Jack would almost laugh but he can hear the footsteps in the hall coming closer, his Mom's voice farther away- "Ruthy." The steps move past his door and Jack is moving into the hall when she opens the door to his little sister's room.

.

Dësmã takes one-step into the very girly room and stops. She can hear him behind her and moves out of the doorway and into the room. Jack walks in and goes straight to Ruthy.

"You need to pack light." Dësmã slips her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. Her eyes bounce from Jack to Ruthy and back- they're different in coloring. Ruthy is very much Angie's daughter, the same light skin and colored eyes, dark blond hair…. While Jack… Jack looks more like Dësmã's brother than she wants to admit. Their darker coloring and black hair exactly like Edward.

"You're our sister?" Jack has his hand on Ruthy's shoulder. It's the only thing Dësmã notices and she's trying not to miss  _her_  brother as much as she does.

"You can ask about that when it's safe." Dësmã opens the closet door and rummages for a bag.

"Safe from what?"

"Just pack." Dësmã pulls out a pink and white backpack with princesses all over. Her eyes go to Ruthy who looks to have outgrown the Disney theme but then what does Dës know? "Make it fast."

"We're not going anywhere." Jack glowers. He's had enough of being ignored. His Dad hasn't answered his calls and he's been with Dësmã the whole time.

"Do you want her to see this?" Dësmã stares him back. She's not above hitting him and he knows it but she would rather not fight in front of Ruthy and he doesn't know that. "You'll get another chance, Jackie. If we can get out of here alive. Which we won't if you continue to waste time."

The stare down takes just long enough for Edward to come in. "What's this?" he takes in the three kids in a single glance and scowls. "I told you to get them packed not to stand around getting to know each other."

"Dad-." Jack gets a freezing glare from Edward.

"Go pack!"

"Henry-." Angie bites her lip, this isn't her husband. She turns to Jack and motions him towards the door. "Go, Jack."

"We're leaving in 5minutes." Edward snaps. He wants to go now but Henry would have a bitch fit if the family got left behind. He grips the gun in his hand and lets out a frustrated breath. "Here." He holds it out to Dësmã. He doesn't want Henry with it when he shows up and they've been switching too often to chance it. "Don't give it to him and don't wait for me. You keep moving."

This isn't how Dësmã thought it would be with her Dad, the 'real' Dad'

"You're giving her another gun?" Angie exclaims.

"Yes." Edward grabs her roughly and walks her out of the bedroom without once acknowledging Ruthy.

It's just Dësmã and the youngest Spivey. Alone and it's awkward. Ruthy's eyes are wide and locked on the gun Dësmã is quick to put out of sight.

"We should get your things." Dësmã waits but Ruthy still doesn't move. "Before he comes back…"

"You hurt Jack." She watched from the window. She's been to see Jack, those sparring matches and that first tournament… but Dësmã tossed him around like Jack didn't know the first thing about fighting.

Dësmã has nothing to say to that. It's not like an I'm sorry will take it back. But Henry wants his family safe. "I was mad. I shouldn't have… Can I help you pack?" she holds out the backpack and this is weird because this kid is making Dësmã miss Sully.

.

Angie's in the kitchen demanding answers; like where they're supposed to go and why they can't call the police when Jack comes in with Ruthy behind and Dësmã at the end. Edward is already annoyed. It would be easier to leave without them but Henry would screw things up if Edward did that.

"Mr. Grady-."

"Nope," Raymond walks into the kitchen. "Edward, are we moving anytime this…" he looks around, brow furrowing. "When did I … uh…"

"No." Edward grits his teeth. "Damn it! No. No, no…"

"Tom?" Angie is having a hard time believing their story but this is not normal.

"Hey guys." Tom looks around at them, a crooked smile in place. "What am I doing here?"

"Dësmã." Edward grabs the gun Tom hasn't realized he's holding. "I'm going to need you to get them out of here."

"You have a gun!" Tom points out and raises his hands in the air like he's being held up.

Edward utters a curse under his breath and grabs Tom. "You shouldn't be here Tom. You need to go home-."

"Unless they know he's helping you." Dësmã speaks up. She's still unsure around him and there's a lot she hasn't processed but helping Henry is giving her something to focus on instead of the disaster her life has turned into.

Edward is down one bad ass with three civilians to worry over. He stares at Dësmã and he knows enough about her and what she's done but can he put their safety solely in her hands?

' _She's just a kid herself.'_

"For now, get them to my place." Edward makes Tom sit down on the stairs, zip ties quickly keep him in place.

"What are you doing?" Angie demands.

"Henry… what is this? Why are you tying me to your railing?" Tom struggles and all he manages to do is shake the banister.

Edward can feel the headache pounding at the back of his skull. "It should be safe until I can figure something out…"

"Oh krap." Dësmã breathes as Edward shakes his head. She watches him straighten and glance around the kitchen.

"What are we still doing here?" Henry demands. "Hey!"

"No." Dësmã grabs all the guns within their reach and puts them away. "I'm in charge until Edward wakes up." she draws a breath, looking at the grown-ups in the room and wondering how she's going to pull off this 'rescue' without Edward. "And he doesn't want you with a gun."

"Who's Edward?" Tom gets strange looks from Henry, Angie and Dësmã. "Who- are you Jack's girlfriend?"

"Gross." Dësmã frowns.

"No." Jack shakes his head avoiding any eye contact with Dësmã.

"She's our sister." Ruthy pipes up and Tom guffaws but no one is laughing.

"Okay, this is a joke. Tell me it's a joke?" Tom demands but then his hands remind him this isn't the kind of joke he likes.

"We are leaving." Dësmã announces. "Right now."

It's like a signal that gets them moving only Angie is intent on untying Tom.

"That's not-. Damn…" Dësmã turns on Henry. "Are you going to say anything?  _Henry_."

But Henry wants to untie Tom. What if he's hurt because they left him there?

Jack grabs a knife and helps Angie.

"Oh…for the… krap-. If I hit your head will I get Edward back?" Dësmã glares at the group in general.

Henry doesn't bother replying, he's got his hands full of Tom and trying to explain the situation when Ruthy draws their attention.

"Are those friends of yours?" she points out the window in the kitchen facing part of the front of the house.

"Krap!" Dësmã quickly grabs Ruthy and pushes her towards Jack. "Where's your car?"

"Garage." Jack answers holding Ruthy.

"Keep her on the floor in the back seat." She orders moving then towards the door. She urges Angie to follow them. "Stay down, back seat, keep her covered. Jack's driving."

"Where are we going?" Tom demands as Henry pushes him into the garage.

"Keys?" Dësmã reminds Henry who grabs them off the hook by the refrigerator. "You in the SUV." She grabs the car cover from the bench in the corner and moves towards Jack. "Get in. hurry up." She glares at Tom who needs an extra push to join Henry in the SUV. "You guys are the decoys."

"What is going on?!" Tom exclaims. "What's with all the guns and this -."

"You can drive like Edward can't you?" Dësmã worries Henry is going to do a repeat of the Chevy. "It's like muscle memory, right? It'll kick in…" she can hope.

"We'll find out." Henry breathes. He watches her throw the cover over Jack's car to hide them.

"I can walk home." Tom assures. "Really, it's not a problem. We're only down the block-."

"You can't go home, Tom." Henry grabs his arm and stops him from getting out of the car. "I'm really sorry-!" he doesn't have time to warn Tom when Dësmã knocks him over the head. "What the hell!" Henry exclaims.

"Push him down in the seat and buckle him up." Dësmã orders and walks to the door.

"Where are you going?" Henry demands.

"Out the front door." Dësmã answers from the kitchen door. "Hit the gas when I give the signal." She takes a breath and turns away.

"Wait!" Henry calls out. "What's the signal?"

Dësmã blinks. She really wishes Edward was there.

"Gunshots."

The garage door closes behind her. She stops at the front door and tries to even her breathing. The lessons run through her head, Matthias insisted they all needed to learn, to go beyond what he could teach them to protect themselves. Sometimes, homeschool has its advantages.

"Ready or not," Dësmã breathes. She reaches to her back and grabs the guns. "Here I come."

.

 


	8. The Unexpected

The steps echoing from the front of the apartment draw Dësmã from her thoughts. She passes a quick glance over the Spivey's; Angie sitting on the couch with Ruthy securely held in her arms. Jack hasn't moved from his place beside them, sitting on the arm of the couch. He hasn't stopped staring at her either.

.

_Angie won't let him out of the car. He's anxious, shifting in his seat and looking around but he doesn't spot the slight figure that comes up to the window and taps his shoulder._

" _Move over." Dësmã opens the door and shoves Jack harder when he doesn't move._

" _What are you doing?" he looks around, frowning because he doesn't know where she came from._

" _Driving." Dësmã pushes him again. "Move, Jack!" she can see Angie in the back seat start to sit up. "Don't. You haven't been seen yet. Let's keep it that way." She motions to Jack once more and he grudgingly gives up the drivers seat._

" _How do you know?" Angie has her hand on Ruthy's covered back, her voice a whisper behind them._

" _Because I've been watching you for the past ten minutes." Dësmã starts the engine and quickly drives out of the docks._

" _Ten minutes?" Jack scowls. "What were you waiting for?"_

" _Settle down." Dësmã knows he won't and she doesn't bother to answer the rest of his questions. Angie finally tells him to stop. She can see Dësmã's expression and it's weird how much they're like Jack's._

" _I don't believe it." Jack states. "He's not a spy."_

" _Henry isn't." Dësmã agrees._

" _He isn't your Dad!" Jack glares at her._

" _No," Dësmã murmurs. "He's not."_

_._

He sees Dësmã first, the 9mm he gave her in her hand. She's standing between the door and the Spivey's.

Edward's not sure how he feels about that. His daughter …

"Henry?"

Edward looks past Dësmã to where Angie is standing. Jack and Ruthy move up behind her, they're all anxious and tense.

"Where's your friend?" Dësmã looks past him, her brow furrowed but he's alone.

"Dropped him at the first ER I found. How did you get them here?" Edward walks past, his hand taking Dësmã by her arm and drawing her into the living area with him.

"In Jack's car." She answers. Dësmã can tell its Edward. There's a difference in how he carries himself to Henry. She's starting to notice, to  _know_  them, Henry and Edward. They don't speak the same either, each man has his own pattern, words they say and how they say things.

"Did you park in the garage?" Edward is already moving towards the stairs as if he's going to check she did just that.

"Would you rather I left it on the street?" Dësmã frowns, just a tad annoyed. "The point was not to draw attention. His car and now yours are big shiny bulls eyes, we can't use them again."

"We aren't." Edward stops. He looks at them; Angie is silent, Ruthy glued to her side hasn't stopped staring at him and Jack… Edward grits his teeth. Jack is angry, he can see it, the way he glares at them both, like Dësmã hasn't taken risks to keep them safe.

"Will Tom be okay?" Angie hates to sound frightened but her day hasn't been normal.

"Tom will have a happy boring life." Edward answers with disgust and a hint of sorrow.

"What does that mean?" Dësmã follows him as he moves to the blank wall.

"Trumbull is going to retire Raymond." Edward snags the remote from the piano and stops, facing the bare wall.

"But Tom-?" Angie looks horrified. "Aren't they the same?"

"No." Edward answers. "And yes. Trumbull will erase Raymond. Tom will never know Ray was ever a part of him. Tom gets to live."

Dësmã hears the disgust lacing Edward's words. She watches him, the clenched jaw, the anger he's holding back-

"Henry." Angie breathes. "Why- can't he do the same for Henry? This man- the one in charge, your boss. Can he bring Henry back? Fix the chip or…" she sounds hopeful.

Dësmã is silent. She doesn't say a word. She's not sure how she's supposed to feel because Edward is a stranger to her. He's the stories her Mom would tell her in the middle of the night when it was just the two of them. He's the Father she never imagined to ever find let alone meet. But there's a part of her that feels like it's being torn, like someone stuck a fist into her chest. Edward isn't hers, she shouldn't care if he leaves her again. Henry has a family that wants him back, a family Edward has put in danger simply because of who he is and what he's done.

"Trumbull wants me dead." Edward states, facing her. He moves towards Dësmã who turns away from them. "I'm not going anywhere." He grabs her arm and looks at her. He stares into her eyes- they're not blue, like Harper's. Dësmã's eyes are a combination of both; green and blue, a shade darker than either of her parents.

"Henry has a family." Dësmã doesn't know Edward. She straightens her back, blinks away any tears for the Father she's never had and resigns herself to never getting to know him. "You and I … we're just strangers."

"You're my daughter." Edward states. He doesn't let go of her arm, doesn't break eye contact. He knows the Spivey's won't be safe, that he's going to have to find a safe place for them to hide while he finishes what he started. "I made a choice 20years ago. I thought I knew everything I was giving up then-."

"So you won't have a problem doing it again." Dësmã cuts him off. She's already called Grazê, she's going to leave. Jack and Ruthy can have their Dad, Angie will get Henry… That's the life Edward chose for them when he left Harper and pretended to die.

"I'm not saying I'm giving up on my plan, Dësmã." Edward holds both her arms. "I'm not going to leave you either."

He couldn't even if that was a choice. She isn't safe and he's not leaving her alone to be hunted down. Because that's what Trumbull will do. He wants both Henry and Edward dead and Dësmã because she's an Albright.

"I don't believe this." Jack glares at them. "It's a lie. All of this!" because nothing is making sense. "What do you want?" he demands of Dësmã. "You came looking for me. You knew who I was, my Dad, now this?"

"Go sit in a corner and calm down." Edward orders. He's about to have a family spat when he should be thinking of a plan and finding somewhere safe for them.

"You're taking her side?" Jack demands, his jaw clenching.

"You're talking to Edward." Dësmã moves away from Edward to face her angry brother. "Jack-ass."

Edward drags in a breath, annoyed. The kids are going to fight, no matter what.

Jack knows better. He's not supposed to hit girls- that's what Angie has taught him. But Dësmã doesn't count.

Edward steps between them, his hand grabbing Jack's arm as he comes at Dësmã- who he notices hasn't moved out of Jack's way. Edward has Jack in hand, knocking him down when he insists on reaching for Dësmã yet again.

"Stop it!" Angie yells. She bends down to Jack but the kid is too angry to care and brushes her off. "You can't-."

"Unless you calm him down then I can!" Edward shouts back at her. "Hey-!"

Jack swings, he's close enough but he doesn't connect. He can feel her hand on his wrist, the sharp tug on his arm and the blinding pain. The floor is cold on his cheek where it smacks hard enough it's like he can hear the 'thwack' bouncing around his skull.

"Get her off my son!!" Angie screams, she smacks at Edward who's got his arm around her waist holding her back.

"If she wanted to hurt your little boy-."

"Right now!" Angie kicks and stumbles when Edward lets go.

"She's a 2nd degree judo black belt and Savate Aide-Moniteur." Edward turns to where Dësmã has Jack on the floor. "She's been nice to the boy so far."

.

Henry hasn't spoken to Dësmã. What he woke up to… He's not sure what to say to her, how to … thank her? She got his family out of danger. She took a risk walking out, alone, so they had a chance to get away safely. How does he go about thanking her for that? How does he bring up what he saw her do? Because what he saw, what Dësmã did…

' _She is Edward's daughter.'_

.

_Dësmã calmly walks out the front door. She takes down the first suit she spots and keeps walking straight for Edward's Chevy. The garage door is torn down when Henry's SUV backs out and he runs over two more suits. There's a piece of the metal door that almost smacks into Dësmã as Henry turns into the yard. He somehow makes a turn and peels out of his driveway, gunshots echoing in rapid pops._

_In the rearview mirror, Henry can see Dësmã run towards the street. There are bodies lying all over his front yard and in the street. The silver Camaro tears out in the opposite direction … a black SUV on its tail when two more block his view and chase after him._

_._

Dësmã waits. She keeps her distance from the Spivey's, never saying anything to them because what is there to say?

Jack hates her. He's decided to blame Dësmã for the mess their lives have become.

Angie has taken over- she cooks and makes them eat, Jack and Ruthy. She can't talk to Dësmã. She can barely look at her because every time, Angie finds something else that reminds her of Jack or Henry.

Ruthy watches Dësmã. She's curious about the sister that isn't Henry's daughter. She slips away from Angie when she's busy getting dinner ready their third night in Edward's apartment. Ruthy thinks she's quiet and she peeks into Edward's bedroom, where Dësmã has isolated herself from the others.

Jared's lock-box is open on the bed. There's a movie stub from their first date once she finally agreed to go out with him. The colorful squares of paper spread out on the white coverlet surprise her the most. Each is a sticky note she left him; a quickly jotted note that she wouldn't be home so he wouldn't worry, a list of items they needed to have fixed, another list for groceries, the one she stuck on the shirt he asked her to get from the dry cleaners- just regular domestic little bits that bring up a life Dësmã cant have with Jared. It was a life she hadn't wanted and now that it's gone is all she can think of.

She picks up the menu for the sushi place she likes that delivers to their dumpy neighborhood. Jared highlighted all her favorite items. Under that are a couple of pictures of them together. Looking through them, Dësmã finds a couple she hadn't known he'd taken of her when she wasn't paying attention.

At the bottom of the box a four old check book boxes from the bank. Dësmã opens the first one and finds it full of cash.

"What were you saving this for, Jared?" she whispers counting out the hundred dollar bills. The next one is full of fifties. She stares at the money in her lap but her mind is blank, not one clue as to what he could have been planning to use it for.

There's more in the box and Dësmã grabs the papers- just regular documents, birth certificate and some old bonds. The envelope falls out, a dark cream color and she sees the gray felt box inside the lock-box.

Ruthy waits but Dësmã just sits there staring at the box for a long time. She doesn't even wipe the tears away, just cries in silence…

.


	9. Before It Gets Better

Jack doesn't have a say and he's angry because Dësmã does. He's been giving them both the silent treatment- juvenile and not productive but he can't hit either of them. What's the point when they know a dozen ways to break him into pieces if he tries it again.

Ruthy walks in front of him, following Angie. She's been curious about everything, not so scared as she had been that first day. They don't want to tell her what's going on because they think she's too young to understand –as if 13 isn't halfway to being an adult. Even Jack has been quieter than usual, moodier too.

Dësmã leads them into the ship; it's not what it looks like from the outside. Huge with shipping containers on its deck, some kind of transport ship. They head down into the belly where she'll find the Grazê's.

"Dës!"

The shout draws all their eyes. He's tall, dressed in jeans and a seaman's sweater. His hair a mop of dark curls that get in his eyes.

"Sully?" Dësmã frowns, eyeing the teen who takes her up in a bear hug. "Sully!" she wraps her arms around his shoulders and holds on when he swings her around. The sting of tears is hard to push back and she laughs into his shoulder.

"Surprise." Sully laughs setting her down and she's a foot shorter than him now.

"My God," Dësmã breathes. "You got so tall."

"I filled out, too." He proudly flexes his arms and grins. It's been two years and he's not the gangly 13year old boy she last saw.

"You look more like Grazê." Dësmã murmurs, except he's got their Mother's eyes- the same shade of blue.

"You look like Mom." Sully replies just as quietly. He tugs on her hair, that lopsided smile just a little sad. She's different but Sully just doesn't know how much.

"Dëssy."

They both look up where Grazê easily descends the ladder and moves towards them. Dësmã feels the tears threatening but seeing Matthias and her little brother has her emotions all over the place. They look alike with matching sweaters and jeans but Matthias' hair is shot with gray at his temples.

Edward watches Dësmã slowly walk into Grazê's arms and the man holds her. He rubs her back and places a soft kiss to the top of her head where she's got her face tucked into his chest. She's crying. The jerky movements of her shoulders tells him that and the soft murmur of words Grazê whispers-

"Hi." Sully offers them all a smile. "I'm Sully Grazê."

Angie makes polite introductions, her eyes shifting to where Dësmã is still in Grazê's arms and back to the teenage boy asking them to follow him.

"We'll be moving soon." Sully assures and steps aside to let them pass. "Once at sea I'll come get you all. You can rest for now. We're safe here."

"Is this a cell?" Jack scowls at the tiny room with bunks on either side. He ignores his Mother's warning look and tosses his bag into a bunk.

"Pretty much." Sully shrugs grinning. "You get used to the cramped quarters."

"Jack." Angie warns eyeing her son before turning to Sully. "This is fine, thank you."

"It's only a couple of weeks." Sully assures. "We've got a big place on the island."

"You live on an island?" Ruthy pipes up.

"Yeah, since I was 6." Sully answers. He doesn't say anymore and the easy smile is now a little forced. "Don't wander off."

Edward follows him out of the bunk. He's been ok with allowing Dësmã to provide their safe harbor but he wants to know more and he wants to meet the man his daughter seems to be very comfortable with.

.

"It's alright, Dëssy." Matthias murmurs to the top of her head. "I'm here. I've got you."

She can't stop from crying and the more he tries to soothe her the more she wants to cry. "I shouldn't have left." She breathes out in a rush.

"No regrets, Dëssy. None, ok?" he hugs her tighter, relieved she is still breathing and in one piece. "We'll get you home, sweet heart. Come on, you can bunk with Sully. He's missed you."

Dësmã drags in deeps breaths, still holding onto Matthias until she can manage not to sob though her tears haven't stopped.

"You look so much like Harper." Matthias whispers when he brushes fresh tears from her cheeks.

"I should've listened to you, Grazê." Dësmã shakes her head, dragging in another breath. "There was nothing for me to find…"

"Nothing?" Grazê questions and when she looks away he knows he's right.

"His name was Jared." Dësmã cries into his chest. She manages to tell him everything between sobs and more tears.

"Aw, Dëssy." Matthias sighs, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry sweet heart. So sorry…" he murmurs because there's nothing he can do to take her pain away.

.

Edward has a tin cup filled with coffee in his hand. The galley kitchen is empty except for them. Both men that Harper at one time loved…

"She came to me a few weeks after Harper died." Matthias stares at the ground, remembering Dësmã at 14 with her little brother in the back seat of the car she stole and hot-wired. "I hid her, both of them." He sighed and looked at Edward. "Dësmã was sneaking out at night. She'd just snuck in when Harper told her to take Sully and get out of the house. She heard them… a man giving the order to burn down the house."

"To hide the bodies." Edward explains. "They were cleaning up."

"Well they did a half ass job." Matthias shakes his head. "And I'm grateful. They missed my kids." He shrugs seeing the expression on Edward's face. "She's been my daughter a lot longer. … Dësmã told me some of what happened- with her boyfriend?"

"She isn't safe." Edward acknowledges it's his fault, because she's his. "I'm not sure what they want her for aside from what she means to me."

"And what is that?" Matthias sets his coffee down.

"She's my daughter." It's a simple statement but Edward still hasn't figured out how he feels about it. Regret, yes, of course he feels that because he's missed an entire lifetime of memories with Dësmã. But he doesn't feel the same loss with Henry's kids. They aren't Edward's in the same way that Dësmã is his daughter.

"One you didn't know about until a few weeks ago." Matthias points out. He stepped in when Dësmã was only 3years old. "You 'died' and left Harper on her own. You left Dësmã as well."

"She's still my kid and I'm not about to leave her now." Edward states setting his cup down. "I chose a life and I've lived with the consequences, bad and good, this long. I've always known what I wanted. Finding Dësmã… she was never part of my plan. I'm choosing to make her part of my life now."

"But you already have a family. Your wife and the kids-."

"They aren't mine." Edward quickly cuts him off. He doesn't care what Matthias thinks of him for saying that but the Spivey's are not his.

"Right," Matthias nods. "They're Henry's family. And aren't you Henry as well?"

He's about to say No but then he'd have to explain that No and that's not something anyone can easily put to words. He shouldn't have to explain himself and that's how Edward feels.

"It's complicated." Edward grits his teeth.

.

Dësmã is sleeping fitfully. It's a small bunk she's going to share with Sully and Matthias until they reach the islands. It'll be a few weeks at sea, keeping out of the way of the working men on the ship. That's always been the deal so they're hoping the Spivey's wont screw it up by wandering around.

Jace is quiet opening the hatch but it still squeals in protest. He watches Dësmã but she doesn't wake up and whatever her nightmare, it's got complete hold of her.

"Dës?" Jace moves in, still careful because he hasn't forgotten the black eye she gave him the first time he tried to wake her up. She had been 16 then. Since, he's learned to approach her carefully, ever watchful lest she wakes and strike. Once he's at her side he leans across and takes firm hold of her wrists. "Dësm-."

She struggles, yanking on her arms and when his grip tightens, she kicks against the metal bunk.

"Shit!" Jace grits his teeth, never letting go of her though his back is going to sport a huge bruise later on.

"Jace?" Dësmã tries to turn around but he's not about to let go of her. She tucks her legs in, trying to find a comfortable spot now that they're on the floor. "What are you doing here?"

"Right now?" Jace arches a dark eyebrow she can't see. "Sitting on my ass. Where you put us. Thank you." He knows it's not what she means but he likes teasing her. Dësmã puts her boot on the edge of the bunk and shoves against it hard. "It's a working trip!" he winces sucking in a breath when she puts her foot down. "That hurts, Dëssy."

"I'm not in the mood for your usual smart ass remarks, Jace."

"Truce then." He proposes while slowly loosing her wrists. "I came down for lunch. Will you join me?"

' _Anything is better than falling asleep again.'_  She thinks.

.

Henry is at lunch with the rest of the Spivey's when Dësmã walks in with Jace.

"This is my younger brother." Grazê waves a hand towards the dark haired man taking a seat at the end of the table. He's dressed similarly to Sully and Matthias, dark knit sweater, jeans and boots.

"So," Henry fidgets, his eyes skipping to Angie before sliding down to the table. He hasn't been completely forgiven but at least she knows it wasn't  _him_  that fathered the girl. "Where are we going?"

Dësmã notices it immediately. Matthias' confused expression tells her they don't realize Edward has gone to sleep. "Meet Henry." She avoids looking at everyone and reaches to the platter set in the middle of the table.

"Your manners are lacking, Dës." Jace takes the platter from her hands before she has a chance to serve herself. "You haven't introduced your new daddy-."

"He's not my- Edward." Dësmã corrects herself, annoyed, and grabs Jace's plate exchanging it with her empty one.

"Obviously," Jace fills his new plate and sets the platter down with just a slight frown. "His name is Henry now."

Dësmã drops her fork, her narrowed eyes and furrowed brow add to the annoyance in her tone. She doesn't care that Matthias told Jace what she found out or that Jace has something else to pester her with because that's normal between them. What annoys her is having to point out the things  _she's_ noticed between Henry and Edward when she shouldn't have to notice them in the first place. She shouldn't care one way or the other and the fact that she does grates on her. "Listen to how he speaks." She turns to Grazê. "The way he walks and holds himself. It's different." She assures. "Edward is more confident. He moves with purpose. Henry is more … anxious, less-."

"Hey." Henry frowns, affronted at her description of him.

"They're different." Dësmã takes her plate and leaves them to eat in her bunk.

Jack scowls at her back, his fork clenched in his hand and the taste of the food has soured- not that he was enjoying lunch to start with.

"Henry…" Matthias accepts the change without much else. "I spoke with Edward earlier. Our journey will be a few weeks. For us, this-."

"Is a job." Jace cuts in. "We would appreciate if you didn't wander around. The captain wouldn't like it and we wouldn't be welcome."

"What do you do?" Angie glances between them. She is just as curious about the men and the island as the kids and Henry.

"We… lots of things." Matthias finishes with a slight shrug. "Mostly we hire on to ships with short trips or if we need to get somewhere without drawing attention."

"What about the island?" Ruthy picks at her plate, popping a piece of meat into her mouth.

"Its home." Sully answers. "We have a few houses-."

"My father says it's been in our family for generations, but no paperwork to prove it." Jace shrugs. "It's easy living. No bills and no taxes." He laughs, glances at Sully and the silent warning is acknowledged. There's no reason to say more than they have to about who they are and how they live. Or why.

"We have our homes there, pre-built and assembled. Each one has its own solar power source, water tower and sewage. We're very eco-friendly." Matthias offers up a smile and continues eating ignoring the glare his younger brother levels on him.

"Why?" Henry doesn't understand what they get from living on an island or why anyone would choose to isolate themselves.

"Why not?" Jace sets his fork down and grabs his drink. "We live comfortably without the hassle of traffic or a 9-5." He shrugs a shoulder and raises his cup. "It's paradise."

Matthias sighs. He knows Jace has never liked the enforced isolation but it's necessary.

"I know who you are." Jack frowns at the men sitting across from him.

"You remember our names." Jace pastes a fake smile on his face. "You must be so proud." He add's to Henry and Angie.

Jack scowls, he's very aware of being made fun of and he doesn't like it.

Matthias already has an idea of what's coming and waits silently. Because Jace doesn't like to be reminded of the life he was enjoying and what the future held for him before they had to leave it all behind.

"You were both starting to make an impression in the ring." Jack's scowl deepens. "Your Father- he's famous. He trains the best MMA fighters-."

"Used to train." Matthias quietly corrects. He can see their curiosity and sighs. "We gave up our life in the MMA. We would be noticed too easily and by then it was safer not to do so. My Father still trains a few but very rarely."

"You mean because of her." Jack doesn't hide the animosity or any of his feelings. His life has been turned upside down and it's all because of Dësmã. And apparently he's not the only one she's screwed over just by showing up.

"Jack…" Henry frowns but he's blaming Edward for this fuck up too.

"You're going to defend her again?" Jack demands. He refuses to see this is Henry/Edward. He's not going to buy into the spy with a chip in his head. "We're  _hiding_  because she came looking for us!"

"Actually," Jace calmly interrupts. "Dësmã was looking for Edward Albright. Her biological Father."

"You gave up your lives when she arrived at your door." Angie looks at Matthias. "Now we are running from people who want Henry dead."

"You mean Edward." Matthias corrects. He can see that Angie doesn't like it by the harsh press of her lips and the slight glare she levels on him. "Yes, Dësmã arriving at my door did force us to leave our lives. I've never blamed her for it. I'm just grateful she and Sully came home alive and well."

"She doesn't care about that, Matthias." Jace scoffs. He's staring at Angie and easily reads the expression on her face. "Dëssy and Sully aren't her kids." He points to the angry boy and the silent girl. "Those are all she cares about. Don't waste your breath, brother." He waves a silencing hand at Matthias and turns to Angie in full. "As for you. You are guests. Dësmã asked for a safe place to keep you. Dësmã." Jace stresses making sure his point comes across clearly, because he only agreed to host these strangers for her. He turns to Henry and the scowl he's wearing. "You're not Edward but physically you're the same and Dësmã is also your daughter. Start acting like it." He gets up and walks out noticing the little smirk his nephew is trying to hide and winks.

Matthias just eats the rest of his food because nothing he says to Jace is going to keep him from saying what he's thinking without filtering the words that come out of his mouth. Matthias also agrees with his brother. He isn't blind, he's been watching the Spivey's and their lack of interaction with Dësmã.

They're her family as well and yet Dëssy is isolated, iced out, visibly ignored…

No, Matthias is not apologizing for his little brother.

.


	10. A Safe Place To Fall

Edward is back. He 'wakes up' in the middle of a domestic argument between Henry and Angie. It automatically puts him in a bad mood. He's tired of 'understanding' why they are all upset. He's tired of 'explaining' the situation over and over  _and_ over because they still don't get it!

"Shut up."

Angie takes a breath. She blinks and takes an aborted step back from Henry that brings her against the metal bunk. "Edward." She finally breathes out. Because its true. The little things that Dësmã pointed out at lunch are not the only things that differentiate Henry from Edward.

"You should understand by now." Edward takes that little step towards her that puts him in her face. He knows that intimidates her and doesn't care anymore. He needs them all to get it through their heads- that  _he_  is taking back his life and they have no say in the matter. "Henry Spivey was and is … just a cover. I am Edward Albright. And I'm not going anywhere."

.

When they finally arrive, Edward disembarks with Jace and Jack. The plan is to meet at the boat but first they're all going to 'loose' themselves in the city for a few hours. Edward is no stranger to the islands; he's had a mission or two in the area. Jack is just annoyed by the crush of people and the fact he can barely see over their heads. Jace doesn't have that problem and he's used to the heavy pedestrian traffic.

"Let me introduce you to some friends of mine." Jace smirks and heads towards the flashing lights of the bar. He already knows Matthias is not going to be pleased but it's easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission.

.

Matthias takes Angie and Ruthy into town. They are curious but wary and stay close to him. When they arrive at the market, Matthias takes them to the stalls with clothes. It's not anything like Ruthy is used to and it shows on her face. Angie is dismayed as well but she's better at hiding it.

"Dësmã knows where the good shops are hiding." Matthias shrugs apologetically. "She can bring you-."

"This will be fine." Angie assures grabbing a few shirts from the hanger. She looks through some more before taking a couple for Ruthy. She's not ready to accept anything from Dësmã because she's struggling with the fact Edward is Henry and he has a daughter and she's the reason he's determined to stay.

Matthias doesn't say anything else and pays the old woman before leading the Spivey women towards the food.

Ruthy is quick to find the fruits, asking about everything and listening as Matthias patiently gives her the answers. Angie can't help feeling out of her depth and homesick. Her life has changed dramatically and the arguments with Henry only make her miss the life they built together before Edward came into it. Edward and Dësmã Albright…

"We can get some more to go." Matthias herds them towards their exit. They make their way to the boat and they're the first ones to arrive.

.

Sully and Dësmã stop at the familiar market stall. They're greeted by the old woman Sully has been calling grandmother since he was 7years old and she gave him his first 'treat'. She's happy to see him again and quickly gets to scolding Dësmã because she's been absent so long.

"I'm sorry. I promise to come help in a few weeks." That's as much as Dësmã can commit to for now.

The old woman tisks and scowls. She points out the changes in Dësmã and attributes it all to a man. She wouldn't be half wrong there but Dësmã doesn't give her any details.

"Anda harus tahu lebih baik daripada untuk membiarkan bicara manis Jace anda."

Dësmã glances at Sully who just happens to be busy flirting with the girl at the next stall. At least he hasn't heard the crazy accusation Granny just made. Maybe, at one time, there had been the possibility of something happening with Jace. Their age difference at the time was what stopped Jace. Dësmã just couldn't get past making out with him before she bolted- not that Jace was bad, just the opposite but Dësmã never got that feeling her Mother had told her about.

' _Not until Jared…'_

"Dës, we need to pick up some things for the house." Sully pokes her arm happy to have her at home again. "Like food."

Dësmã sighs. "Shopping."

Granny laughs and shoo's them away because she knows how much Dësmã hates to shop with her little brother. By the time they have enough food for the Spivey's to last them the week, Dësmã is in a bad mood.

And they aren't the first ones to reach their boat.

"Where's Uncle Jace?"

.

Angie hasn't spoken to Edward since he told her to shut up and she has nothing to say to him. Jack is still sulking but he's been watching Dësmã interact with Sully. They act so much like brother and sister, Jack just doesn't understand why she had to come and ruin his family.

"Je vais gagner."

"Sully, vous avez grandi de quelques centimètres. C'est tout."

"On fait la course!"

Edward understands perfectly and his thought is that his daughter can speak French. But that shouldn't surprise him since the Grazê's are currently 2nd and 3rd eneration French-American.

"Ne vaut pas mon effort." Dësmã lazily leans back on the hard bench pretending a comfort Edward knows she can't possibly feel.

"Tu as peur que je vais vous battre."

"Pft!" Dësmã waves her hand in Sully's face and turns away from him. That's enough to get him to stand up and start taking off his shirt.

"Let's go."

"Grazê…" Dësmã turns to Matthias but he's smiling, clearly amused by them and shakes his head No, sits back crossing his arms to continue watching them.

"Where are they going?" Ruthy softly questions Matthias. She can see the beach but it's still too far away. "Why is he taking off his clothes?!" and that only when she notices Sully drops his belt.

"What are they doing?" Angie demands hastily placing her hand over Ruthy's eyes. She automatically looks to Edward and remembers it's not Henry who she's expecting support from.

"Swimming." Matthias replies ignoring her shocked and disapproving expression.

"You're going to lose, baby brother." Dësmã toes off her boots and slips out of her pants.

"Whose getting naked?" Jace sits up, not the least sleepy now. His shades are swiped off his face so he has an unobstructed view of Dësmã in her underwear.

"Hentikan perahu." She throws her t-shirt at Jace and follows Sully to the bow.  _'Its like I'm in my bikini. Same thing._ ' She tells herself ignoring the stares. From the corner of her eye she sees Angie with her mouth pressed into a tight disapproving line. Edward is more interested in Jace's ogling.

The boat is gliding and Sully doesn't wait for it to get any closer before he dives into the water. "Too soon." She grins and turns back to their captain. "Berikan beberapa gas, Geeves."

"Cheater." Jace laughs and enjoys the partially naked view of his brother's step-daughter.

"Il ne devrait pas être ainsi bloque et je blâme que sur vous." Dësmã tells Jace then motions to the captain to stop.

"Il a hérite de nos bons regards. Comment est-ce ma faute?" Jace demands of his brother as Dësmã dives over the bow.

Edward moves to the front of the boat. He has a clear view of both, the boat slowly moving out to the left of the swimmers.

Dësmã comes up ahead of her brother and doesn't stop because she knows his longer legs and arms will have him catching up soon enough.

"First one on the beach wins." Jace leans on the bow, his newly shaded eyes staring towards the beach. "Want to make a bet?"

Edward shakes his head. The bars Jace took them to kill some time and the people he saw the younger Grazê socialize with have Edward working on a plan. Jace will come in handy.

Matthias is at the rail with the rope in hand, the dock is made of logs cut from the trees on the island. It seems rather simple but it's been useful to their needs. The warehouse is in a cove a few miles down the beach, where they bring supplies in large quantities or big items. They're going to need to find some furnishings for the Spivey's 'new home' and that will mean another trip to the city.

"We have arrived." Jace waves them all off the boat smiling like he's the host at a party. Under all that is the annoyance he didn't bother to hide when Dësmã asked them to harbor the Spivey's.

Jack follows behind Jace to the beach and a small group of people gathered there.

"She cheated!!"

He can hear the laughter and the jumble of foreign words and voices as Sully complains that his sister had a lead on him.

"She thinks you're stuck up." Jace ruffles his nephew's wet hair and winks at Dësmã after sneaking a kiss to her cheek before walking away from the group with a few waves to those gathered. He doesn't look back and is quickly lost in the jungle of trees.

"I'm stuck up?" Sully turns to his sister but she just shrugs a bare shoulder at him.

"Just a little." She pinches her fingers together as an example, her smile not the least bit apologetic. "But now that I'm here you'll be just fine."

Matthias chuckles, he passes his button down shirt to Dësmã with a silent look she more than understands. "Let's get our guest settled in before you two start carrying on as usual."

.

Henry has his first view of the island from the living room of his 'new temporary home' – at least, he hopes it's only temporary. Angie is still upset and Jack has been avoiding both of them but mostly Henry. The argument that woke him up was about the damn chip in his head and Angie's demand that Henry stays and Edward leaves.

Edward didn't take it too well but everyone is still in one piece. Henry doesn't think his other me is going to sit still and Henry knows they can't both co-exist, they're broken. So who gets to stay?

"Henry?" Angie tentatively slips her hand through his, her eyes warily searching for signs of Edward.

"I'm still here." Henry assures. "We should have a safe word."

Angie's reluctant smile brings one to his face as well. "Like onions or apples?"

"Something not easily confused." Henry chuckles.

"There has to be something we can do." Angie's hands clasp in his tighter. "Some way to keep you from being wiped. I don't think we can live with Edward…" her thoughts go over the last few months and all the little things she had thought Henry was doing to spice up their life when it had been Edward showing up.  _'The hummingbird…'_  her cheeks flush at the memory.

.

Both Jack and Ruthy have been called to the older Grazê. It's been a week on the island with only Angie's vigilant eye hovering over them and Henry trying to stay calm and relaxed so Edward remains asleep as long as possible. So far, they've managed it just fine and there hasn't been a switch.

But a week seems like an eternity to the young Spivey's when they've never had to spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with only their parents to socialize with. So the young boy with broken English insisting that only Jack and Ruthy go with him made Angie panic because she wasn't about to let her children go off with a stranger on an island. Even if the stranger is a 7year old boy. Henry over ruled her and the kids went off quickly without a backward glance leaving Henry to calm his wife.

"Where are we going?" Ruthy taps the boys shoulder but he smiles and darts off waving at them to run.

"Don't lose him!" Jack grabs Ruthy's hand and runs after the boy.

They head to the beach, not the same place where they arrived because there's no dock. And the beach is not empty.

"Di sana." The boy points to the trio, two of those sparring and runs off leaving the Spivey's on the beach.

Jack doesn't know how to get back but he doesn't want to go anywhere near Dësmã and he knows that's her.

"Ruthy!"

She ignores him and starts running towards the trio because she doesn't want Jack to stop her.

"Damn." Jack sprints but even so his sister shouts at the three already on the beach in greeting.

Dësmã takes the distraction offered by Ruthy and knocks Sully into the sand hard and gives him a little kick in the ass too.

"Comment avez-vous finissez de manger du sable?" Athanasius asks on a sigh from his seat in the shade.

Sully spits out the mouth full of sand, glaring at his sister. "Dësmã."

"I put you there, yes." Dësmã agrees. "And it's your fault."

"Vous devries avoir prêté attention à poings Dësmã's à la pace de la jeune fille." Athanasius turns his attention to the Spivey's. "Tiens."

"He says hello." Dësmã translates turning to her siblings. Athanasius wants then to pair off right away so he has an idea of where the new students are.

"Come on, Jack." Sully waves him over still brushing sand out of his hair. "Leave the girls to their fluff."

"I'm not afraid of breaking a nail." Dësmã retorts. "Are you?" she looks right at Ruthy wondering if the youngest Spivey is going to run off before their first session is over.

"No." Ruthy straightens her shoulders and tries to mirror Dësmã's stance.

.

Its late afternoon and the new arrivals have pretty much kept to themselves which is just fine with Jace. The less he sees of them the better for everyone. He's still not happy his Father has taken to instructing the young ones. Jace doesn't see how forcing Jack to be around Dësmã is going to form a bond they never had a chance to build and one that Angie doesn't want her children to develop with Dësmã.

Jace hikes up to the falls thinking about the little one- Ruthy. She's taken to Dësmã a lot easier than he had thought. Watching them together… Dësmã is a patient teacher which helps with Ruthy because she still isn't as comfortable as Jack looks sparring with Sully.

Now there, Jace shakes his head grinning. Both boys are evenly matched most of the time. Jack has the height and bulk, while Sully has more training. Jace doesn't think Jack is going to keep that advantage too long. His sullen attitude and the anger he feels and blames on Dësmã make Jack resistant to what Athanasius is trying to teach. And if Jack doesn't start listening, Athanasius might just stop trying, and use Jack for a sparring partner since it looks as though it's all Jack wants to do anyway.

"Cagnotte." Jace whispers with a silent thank you sent to the heavens. The one person he can't seem to run into is the last one he expects to find sunning at the top of the falls. "Topless!"

The sound of the water crashing into the clear pool at the bottom masks his approach and Jace does his best not to startle her awake. He drops his towel with his shirt and lies down beside her tempted to wake Dësmã but decides against it because she seems to be at peace for once. Jace still doesn't know the whole story but what he got out of Matthias doesn't make him any happier. He knows Matthias made a point of telling him about Jared and what he meant to Dësmã.

' _He's gone and not worth mentioning.'_  Jace just hopes Matthias will stay out of it this time around. Dësmã isn't 17 and the 8year difference in their ages shouldn't be an issue to anyone. It hadn't been a problem with Dësmã back then…

.

Edward is furious he's lost almost three weeks and when he finally wakes up its to find an argument going on with Jack.

"Of course." He sighs wiping a hand over his face. He walks out of the house leaving the screaming teenager and Mother behind. Edward has things to do and no time to waste.

The first person he comes across is Jace and moving closer, notices he's not alone. "Dësmã?"

It is her. And she looks flustered while Jace has that damn Cheshire grin Edward remembers from that bar and the reason behind it.

"Hey!" Dësmã grabs Edward's arm and puts herself in front of Jace. "Stop!" she shoves her elbow into Jace's chest and glares at him. "You too!" the last thing either of them need is to get caught making out but that just happens to be their fate.

"What the hell are you doing?" Edward demands.

"Calm down." Dësmã orders making an effort to lower her voice and stay calm herself. "You don't want to switch with Henry this soon do you?"

"Ok, now it makes sense." Jace huffs at her back.

"Not now, Jace." Dësmã frowns at him over her shoulder. "Go away. You're just going to piss him off and then Henry's going to wake up."

"We can't have that." Jace mocks but he does leave them alone.

"You can't be punching out every guy I kiss-."

"That was more than kissing!" Edward scowls. "Fix your damn shirt."

"I'm not a little girl, Edward." Dësmã retorts while tugging her shirt back into place, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Right now, she's not sure what's worse; walking in on her Mother with Matthias or that Edward caught her practically dry humping Jace. "You didn't know I existed until a few months ago. I'm 22 and if I want to sleep with Jace, that's none of your business."

"22… you're 22." Edward latches onto that, brow furrowed thinking and of course he's missed another birthday.

"Don't sweat it." Dësmã shrugs it off. "By the way, while you've been sleeping, Henry and Angie have been happily enjoying paradise from their porch the past two weeks."

"I'm going to need your boyfriend to take me into the city." Edward starts walking in the direction Jace headed completely ignoring anything to do with Henry or Angie.

"Hold up!" Dësmã grabs his arm tugging but he doesn't stop, forcing her keep pace with him. "You were about to punch him and now you want him as a tour guide? Why?"

"That doesn't concern you." Edward answers. He's not about to involve her any further. He already knows the Grazê island is the safest place for his daughter and that's where he plans to leave her. Even if there is one Grazê humping his kid.

"Then you can find your own way around." Dësmã turns away from him. "You do know where Jace lives…?"

Edward stops in the middle of the path. He glares at his daughter standing just a few feet away, arms crossed. She reminds him of Harper like that.

"Come on." Edward waves an impatient hand for her to lead the way.

"Why?" Dësmã isn't going to move until she gets some answers.

"Because I need an introduction to some of his friends." Edward grits his teeth and waves imperatively once again.

"I can't believe you!" Dësmã exclaims. "You want a whore but I can't kiss-."

"I don't want a whore." Edward denies. "He knows other people."

"Gangsters?" Dësmã narrows her eyes and she's already working out what Edward is trying to do. "You're going back." She's not asking. "You are going back and what? What are you going to do, Edward?"

"That doesn't concern you." Edward repeats and he can see that's the wrong tack. "Dësmã-."

"You're going to get yourself killed." Dësmã states quietly. She walks past him, avoiding any eye contact and takes him exactly where he asked her to.

The house is the first one put together on the island. But it's just like all the others. The main entrance is from the open living room and kitchen area. The glass panels slide together leaving the ground floor area open to the outside deck. There's a small laundry room beside the pantry behind the kitchen. The master bedroom is on the ground floor as well and it's the only one with a tub. The dining room sits in the middle; a small open nook has the TV and comfortable recliner. The only other room on the ground floor is a library that Athanasius has filled with all kinds of books, most of them classics.

The second floor is reached by two spiral staircases; one for each of the bedrooms upstairs. There's a shared deck accessible from the sitting area that overlooks the dining room, kitchen and living room. The door to Jace's bedroom is open and Dësmã can see him walk towards his bathroom.

"Grand-père," Dësmã skips up the steps and walks right into the house like she lives there.

Edward waits on the deck, scowling because his daughter is too comfortable in her boyfriends house.

"Grand-père, Il a besoin d'emprunter Jace." Dësmã perches on the breakfast stool where Athanasius slides a cup and pitcher towards her.

"Votre nouveau père devra lui revenir dans le même ètat où il lui emprunte." He looks at Edward and waves him into the kitchen.

"I'll bring him back in one piece." Edward assures.

"If you're trying to get us to fight," Jace calls from the railing. "Bringing him to my door is a great start, baby."

"Don't call me that." Dësmã frowns. "Get down here."

"Out of respect for my Father I won't call you something else-."

"Knock it off, Jace." Dësmã hops off her stool glaring at him because some of the 'endearments' he whispers in her ear aren't things she wants him saying in front of other people or anyone at all.

"Son père va casser le nez, mon fils." Athanasius calmly walks out of his kitchen with his glass and heads back to the TV.

"If he doesn't, I'm going to break something else so shut up and behave for once." Dësmã warns.

"Parce que vous m'avez demandé si gentiment mon amour." Jace dropped a kiss on her lips well aware of Edward's furious expression.

"Knock it  _off_." Dësmã hisses, pushing him away and crossing her arms.

"If you're done…?" Edward grits his teeth making an effort to remain calm because he can't afford to switch with Henry right now. "I need you to introduce me to some people."

"Oh, well…"

"Do it." Dësmã cuts in. She'd rather Jace didn't but Edward is going to find what he's looking for with or without Jace. What worries her is that he's going back to finish that fight and what if Edward never makes it out alive. He's going to make her an orphan…

"Alright." Jace agrees though the expression Dësmã is trying to hide worries him.

"Great. Let's go." Edward turns, heading out of the house.

"Whoa, whoa, right now?" Jace frowns and he's shaking his head because he's not going anywhere tonight that isn't to bed with the girl that demands they keep it a secret.

"The sooner the better." Edward impatiently waits.

"I'm all booked for tonight. So you'll have to wait until tomorrow." Jace reaches for Dësmã's hand only she walks over to Edward. "Dëssy."

"Your night just got free." Dësmã turns on her heel. "We don't have all evening." She calls over her shoulder.

.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: -thank goodness google translates because if it's not Spanish… well I'm only fluent in one other language, English-
> 
> translations->
> 
> "You should know better than to let that Jace sweet talk you." - Anda harus tahu lebih baik daripada untuk membiarkan bicara manis Jace anda.
> 
> "I'll win." - Je vais gagner.
> 
> "Sully, you've grown a few inches. That's it." - Sully, vous avez grandi de quelques centimètres. C'est tout.
> 
> "I'll race you!" - On fait la course!
> 
> "Not worth my effort." - Ne vaut pas mon effort.
> 
> "You're scared I'm gonna beat you!" – Tu as peur que je vais vous battre!
> 
> "Stop the boat." – Hentikan perahu.
> 
> "Give it some gas, Geeves." – Berikan beberapa gas, Geeves.
> 
> "He shouldn't be so stuck up and I blame that on you." – Il ne devrait pas être ainsi bloqué et je blâme que sur vous.
> 
> "He's inherited our good looks. How is that my fault?" – Il a hérite de nos bons regards. Comment est-ce ma faute?
> 
> "There." – Di sana
> 
> "How did you end up eating sand?" – Comment avez-vous finissez de manger du sable?
> 
> "You should have been paying attention to Dësmã's fists instead of the girl." – Vous devries avoir prêté attention à poings Dësmã's à la place de la jeune fille.
> 
> "Grandfather, he needs to borrow Jace." – Grand-père, Il a besoin d'emprunter Jace.
> 
> "Your new Father will have to return him in the same condition as he borrows him." – Votre nouveau père devra Lui revenir dans le même ètat où il Lui emprunte.
> 
> "Her Father is going to break your nose, my son." – Son père va casser le nez mon fils.
> 
> "Because you asked me so nicely, my love." – Parce que vous m'avez demandé si gentiment mon amour.


	11. She Is Not Afraid

Edward has no luck getting Dësmã to stay behind and it's really annoying- her reminders to stay calm lest he switch with Henry before he gets what he wants from Jace's 'friends'. And Dësmã is giving Jace nasty looks too.

"What do you want me to do?" Jace sighs. His night is not at all what he had planned for them.

"Shut up." Dësmã stomps to the starboard side and sits with her arms crossed looking out to the water.

Jace can already tell she's angry; that's the easy one. The next is her anxiety, which he can tell is spiking the more her foot twitches and taps on the deck. With that goes the worry and Jace would give his right arm and say that worry is over Edward. It's not going to get any easier once they hit the city…

.

Sully is having breakfast by the time Matthias comes out of his bedroom ready for a new day. With a glance upstairs he can see Dësmã' door is open and that means she's already gone.

"Where's your sister?" Matthias pours himself a cup of coffee, frowning when he sees the dregs of sugar left in the tin. There's another trip to the 'store' he's not looking forward to if it means heading off the island.

Sully shrugs. "She didn't sleep here."

Matthias straightens up, forgetting the sugar and his coffee. "What?"

"She didn't come home last night." Sully stops mid bite of his vegetable omelet, wide eyed, like he's the one in trouble. "Maybe she stayed with the Spivey's?"

"NO." Matthias shakes his head and heads out. He knows things haven't progressed that well with the adults or Jack for Dësmã to suddenly start sleeping over. What Matthias is thinking is the last thing he wants to be true. But she's only been home a few weeks…

He arrives at his Father's house where Athanasius is relaxing on his front porch with a second cup of coffee.

"Where is she?" Matthias demands starting up the steps.

"Il est de coutume de saluer quelqu'un avec un bon fils du matin." Athanasius doesn't bother to get up.

"Dësmã!" Matthias yells into the house but Jace's bedroom door is open and the spare room as well. "Where is he? Jace, Dad! Is she with him?"

"Oui." Athanasius slowly gets up from his comfortable seat and starts into the kitchen.

"Dad!" Matthias follows him, upset and trying not to lose patience with his Father but it's getting difficult. "I know he's your son-."

"Et vous ne'êtes pas?" Athanasius demands with a slight scowl.

"He was Mom's little boy." Matthias sighs, gritting his teeth in frustration because he already knows. "Et à casue de cela vous avez à peu près tout pardonné Jace qu'il ait jamais fait."

"Il est jeune-."

"C'est un home cultivé!" Matthias explodes. "Il est presque 29! Pour l'amour du Christ! Il n'a pass d'affaire- Il ne s'agit pas de jouer avec Dësmã. Elle n'est pas l'une de ses filles de l'île."

"Non," Athanasius agrees. "Elle n'est certainement pas." He moves around the kitchen to take a seat on one of the stools motioning for his eldest to do the same. "Pensez-vouz qu'elle lui permettrait?"

"Dësmã has been through… she doesn't need Jace toying with her emotions right now. She's vulnerable." He still won't sit down. "Where are they?"

It's kind of a stand off between them. Matthias willing his Father to be on his side against Jace and the youngest Grazê's 'wants' for once. The old man, trying to figure out where his sons have disconnected and how to fix it. He finally sighs tiredly and shakes his head.

"Son Père voulait emprunter Jace." He waves a tired hand towards the jungle of trees and slides out of his seat. "Elle est pertie avec eux. Probablement pour s'assurer qu'ils sont tous deux en un seul morceau."

"Left where?" Matthias can feel his anxiety creeping higher each second.

"Dans la ville."

.

Morning isn't what wakes her though there's a glare from the window she can't ignore for too long. The hand groping at her thigh deserves a slap but she doesn't stop him.

"Should I wake you-."

"I'm awake enough." Dësmã turns towards Jace, blinking sleepily at the squeaking ceiling fan that really doesn't do more than move the hot air around the room. "Did he make it?"

Jace stops his roving hand and stares down at her. "I get last night wasn't how you thought it was going to go. And I get that this is your new Dad you're concerned about but do I really have to point out how badly you're killing the mood right now?" he arches a dark eyebrow, his hair mussed up from their delayed night because Jace got what he wanted anyway.

"Is that going to stop you from repeating last night?" Dësmã demands with just a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"Nope." Jace quickly replies. "And I checked Henry into the room down the hall." He gives her a perfunctory smile when she blocks his attempt to kiss her.

" _Henry_?" Dësmã sits up. "You left  _Henry_  in a room alone?" she demands moving to get up. "Are you -!"

Jace pulls her back into bed, her hands easily pinned under his. "He's a big boy. And I told him it wasn't safe to come out until we went to fetch him. Henry was all for staying in the room until we do." He assures her. "Now," he gives her his 'I'm patiently suffering through your tantrum' look. "May I?"

Dësmã would rather they got back to the island but Henry is the last person she wants to see this early in the morning. "Fine." She agrees scowling. "But make it fast."

"Oh no." Jace shakes his head. "I'm not one of those minute men, Dëssy. I take my time and do it right. You like when I do it right…"

"Shut up." Dësmã grumbles but he's right about that.

.

Henry is fuming and the one person he'd love to beat is the only one he can't because they share the same body.

Instead, Henry waits for Jace to come back with Dësmã so they can get back to the island. The hotel room is gross and hot and there's nothing that's going to make him step outside. No way.

Still, he paces back and forth wondering what Edward was doing leaving the island and what he could have said to Angie or the kids and a dozen other things because he cant stop from worrying about what's going to happen next.

He rubs at his forehead, fingers sliding down to pinch the bridge of his nose … and that's when his sight goes a little wonky.

"Shit." Is the last word Henry utters before he starts tipping sideways-

… Edward grabs onto the wall, shaking his head to rid it of the fog. He looks around the room immediately tensed for a fight but he's alone.

He makes a quick survey of the room and what he's got on him. On his hand is the faded ink from the sharpie he used to write the name of the hotel where he was meeting Dësmã and Jace when they were forced to separate and Edward felt Henry waking up. It's a shit hole but good enough to lay low for the night.

The sun blazing through the cracks in the curtain are too bright for it to be early morning and he's cursing at Henry but at least it's only been a few hours.

Edward still doesn't have what he needs and sitting on his ass isn't getting him any closer to the answers he's been searching for most of his adult life.

.

_Dësmã sits tense, her eyes never leaving Edward's back even with Jace annoyingly trying to get in her line of sight._

_"Knock it off before you lose something you need." Dësmã hisses at him, shoving his face out of her way and scooting closer to the edge of the booth._

_Jace lets out a heavy breath, flops into the booth and rests his head against the mirrored back. "Waste of an evening." But even that doesn't get her attention._

_The 'conversation' she was ordered to leave, by Edward, gets loud enough to hear over the shouting in the club that's already loud enough. Dësmã is half out of the booth when Edward gets punched but that's only after he's already knocked two of the goons heads together and kicked a third in the nuts._

_"Dës!" Jace has trouble getting out of the booth when his shirt snags on the krappy tabletop. The material rips but he's free._

_"Go! Go! Go!" Edward reaches Dësmã rushing towards him and the fight, grabs her around the waist and hauls her towards the exit. Jace back pedals, turns right into one of the bouncers and plants his fist in the guys face grimacing._

_"I liked this bar." Jace glares over his shoulder at Edward. "What the hell?"_

_"There are plenty more-."_

_"And I'm not taking your new Daddy to any of them." Jace cuts her off and grabs them both so they follow him down a side street. "What happened?"_

_"I didn't like his price." Edward snaps as they continue to run._

_"You could've negotiated!" Jace grits his teeth but annoyance bleeds through._

_"He didn't like my price." Edward replies._

_Dësmã stops. She refuses to let Edward grab her and ignores Jace who'd rather keep running towards their boat and get back to the island. He wonders if maybe a couple weeks absent will make the mean little man who runs the bar forget tonight._

_"You're not going to stop." Dësmã faces Edward. She angry because she feels his loss already._

_"What gave him away, Dës?"_

_"GO AWAY!" she grabs the first thing at hand and tosses a half-rotted crate at Jace who ducks out of the way. "It isn't some fucking joke, asshole!"_

_"And now we should run." Edward grabs her arm, nodding towards the four men entering their side street. "Dësmã!"_

_She ignores him, ignores Jace and walks towards the men coming after her Father because he couldn't agree to their price let alone think about anything that didn't get him some answers about his parents …. Or Harper._

_Edward doesn't expect the violence from his daughter. He's seen it before, when her boyfriend was murdered and she took out some of that grief on the men who did it. He doesn't understand what brings it out now- he's had so little time with Dësmã to get to know her._

_"Dës-." Jace gets a fist in his face he should have been expecting._

_Edward steps in. They have four bodies at their feet so he takes Dësmã in his arms as gently as he can while still conveying the strength of his resolve to see this through to the end. "We are going to separate."_

_Jace wipes his nose, glaring at the pair when Edward looks at his over Dësmã's head._

_"Stay out of sight. And no." Edward shakes his head as Jace opens his mouth. "We need to stay here- no boat. Find a place to wait."_

_Dësmã steps out of Edward's arms, she has to distance herself because it feels too much like what it should be between a Father and daughter._

_But Edward isn't hers._

_She tells herself Jack and Ruthy need him more than she's ever or could ever have wanted._ 'I can pretend Edward never existed.'  _That's exactly what Dësmã is going to do._

_._

Matthias has been forced to wait. Two weeks without a word from Dësmã or Jace let alone Edward. Two weeks of his step-daughter being alone with them – and he's got a pretty damn good idea of what Jace has been doing. That's one of the problems with Dësmã taking off without a word to him. He has a conversation pending with her no matter that she's an adult now. Even less with the fact that she can take care of herself – he made sure of that.

Sully drops to the sandy beach beside his Dad. They don't say anything, just stare out at the waves…..

"You think we could get a phone now?" Sully spares a glance at his Dad because the phone has been one of those things that's always been a 'No'.

This time around, Sully worries at the 'Maybe' Matthias sighs before getting up and slowly making his way back to their house.

By the time the sun slips into the ocean Sully can make out the shadow of a boat he thinks is coming their way. He waits another hour and sure enough he can hear it though it doesn't have any lights on. The worry is that maybe its not his sister coming home.

Sully quickly moves into the trees at the edge of the beach where he can see but remain hidden. He feels relieved when the boat docks and Dësmã is the first one on the beach clearly upset.

"The Falls." Sully breathes a sigh that's part groan. It's a hike up to the Falls where Dësmã likes to spend her time diving and swimming. It's a bit hidden and the first place they found their first year on the island. But it's always been her spot.

.

Ruthy doesn't understand- she gets what the problem is but she doesn't understand why it has to be. Jack isn't accepting of anything that has to do with their new-older sister. Henry is always trying to make up for Dësmã's existence because Angie can't get over it and what's become of their lives since. But the blame isn't Dësmã's … though that's who they're blaming. It hasn't helped that Ruthy sneaks out- or tries to without much success because Angie always catches her. The only time they've had to spend together is the mornings training on the beach. Ruthy just wishes Jack weren't such an asshole the whole time.

"Ruthy?"

She moves away from the window towards her bed where she climbs into the curtained alcove in silence. The pale blue and mint colors of her pillows and bedspread were a gift from Dësmã. Ruthy particularly likes the sparkly lace accents and that's where she keeps her focus as Angie slides the door open and slowly walks in.

"Ruthy…" Angie peels the netting aside and takes a seat at the foot of the bed. She sighs, tentatively reaching towards her daughter knowing already it wont make a difference.

_'If only they'd never come into our lives…'_

.

Matthias had plenty to say to Dësmã about where she's been and Sully chose not to stick around for the fight. He can already see where this is going-what his sister is going to do and there's nothing he can say to change her mind. With Dësmã its always been difficult to hold on, difficult to understand why she's never fully accepted her place in their family.

"Elle doit aller." Athanasius sits on his porch enjoying what breeze he can while staring up at the trees. "Dësmã doit trouver sa place, ce morceau d'elle-même qui est manquant." He turns to Sully. "Nous ne pouvons pas lui donner ça. Peu importe combien nous l'aimons."

"She's leaving, Grand-père." Sully stares up at the trees watching the light filter through its leaves. "What if she doesn't come home?"

Athanasius has no answer for that.

.

Jace is waiting at the Falls because he knows that eventually Dësmã is going to show up. Its where she goes to think – or hide, depending on the issue. She sees him propped against the tree. This time there's a goodbye he wont like …

"I could tie you up." Jace says without a smile as he turns towards her.

"I'm not in the mood." Dësmã replies. Her towel lands between them on the grass. "I made up my mind."

"Then un-make it!" Jace demands. "What are you going back for?"

He knows the answer-she can see it. Dësmã can't move forward, she can't forget Jared and it hasn't been easy trying to erase that part of her life. Leaving the island, going to find Edward … she wanted to find that missing piece of herself, get the answers her Mother couldn't give her anymore. Instead, Dësmã found Jared … she met Henry and the Spivey's… she got a lot more than she bargained for.

"I'm sorry." Dësmã softly apologizes. "For using you…I just can't -."

"He's dead." Jace cuts in. "I'm right here, Dës. I'm here…" he shakes his head realizing the stubborn girl wont hear him out because she's already made up her mind. "I'm not going anywhere Dësmã."

"Jace…" she sighs but lets him leave. She doesn't want to have another fight. The one with Matthias has been enough and there's one more to tackle with Edward because he wont want her with him.

 _'Tough.'_  She frowns, because she's not going to allow him to choose for her.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: here are a couple more because I couldn't help throwing them in. Google is fun to use! So why not?
> 
> translations
> 
> "It's customary to greet someone with 'good morning' son." - Il est de coutume de saluer quelqu'un avec un bon fils du matin
> 
> "Yes." – Oui
> 
> "And you are not?" - Et vous ne'êtes pas?
> 
> "And because of it you've pretty much forgiven Jace everything he's ever done." - Et à casue de cela vous avez à peu près tout pardonné Jace qu'il ait jamais fait
> 
> "He's young-." - Il est jeune
> 
> "He's a grown man!" – C'est un home cultivé!
> 
> "He's 29- almost 30! For Christ sake… He has no business- he's not to play with Dësmã. She's not one of his island girls." – Il est presque 29! Pour l'amour du Christ! Il n'a pass d'affaire- Il ne s'agit pas de jouer avec Dësmã. Elle n'est pas l'une de ses filles de l'île
> 
> "No," "She certainly is not." "Do you think she would allow it?" – Non. Elle n'est certainement pas. Pensez-vouz qu'elle lui permettrait?
> 
> "Her Father wanted to borrow Jace." – Son Père voulait emprunter Jace
> 
> "She left with them. Probably to make sure they both come back in one piece." – Elle est pertie avec eux. Probablement pour s'assurer qu'ils sont tous deux en un seul morceau
> 
> "To the city." – Dans la ville
> 
> "She has to go." elle doit aller
> 
> "Dësmã needs to find her place, that piece of herself that is missing." - Dësmã doit trouver sa place, ce morceau d'elle-même qui est manquant
> 
> "We can't give her that. No matter how much we love her." - Nous ne pouvons pas lui donner ça. Peu importe combien nous l'aimons.


	12. Broken Boy Soldiers

 

He hasn't allowed himself to think about Dësmã's role in the plan because there's nothing Edward can say or has said to her since they left the Graze island to change her mind. Edward is worried she'll be hurt or worse but part of him is glad to have more time with her. Even if their Father-daughter bonding is more about guns, blood and murder. He's had no ties, no feelings to tangle him in more trouble than he needs. His usual dealings with the opposite sex have not prepared him for a relationship with his grown up daughter and Dësmã has remained focused on the task at hand; finding the people responsible for hunting her and killing her Mother.

The not so unexpected visit he received from Matthias the afternoon they'd returned from the main land is still fresh. He'd clearly been upset, because Dësmã was adamant that she would go with Edward. Matthias had know this time it wouldn’t be like the time before. When she left to search for Henry Spivey and the lie she assumed he'd been playing out. Matthias had asked Edward not to take her…

Edward had almost voiced his own warning, about Jace and where he'd been putting those paws of his … But Edward has a pretty good idea of what Jace has been for her. The distraction that kept her from thinking of the dead boyfriend. Someone she could trust … no matter what Edward feels – what right does he have to tell her anything at all? She's old enough to decide for herself and Edward has learned enough about his daughter to recognize this.

.

Henry's been gone for 3 months, there's been no word from him. Angie doesn’t want to lose hope but with Edward in control … she worries Henry is gone for good.

“Mom?” Ruthy skips in, she's got a healthy glow to her skin – Angie notes her little girl has suddenly grown … suddenly for Angie who feels she's losing them all. More and more she sees less of Jack who spends his time either sparring or training. What she didn’t mind at home suddenly bothers her immensely.

“Have they heard anything?” Angie knows the answer by the look on her daughters face.

“No.” Ruthy shakes her head, blond ponytail swishing. “They haven’t checked in. but that’s normal.” She adds hurriedly. “Grazê says Dës never checked in either. They have to keep the island safe.”

“Yes, safe.” Angie echoes but her tone is far from happy about it.

“You know its not her fault.” Ruthy’s hopeful expression doesn’t make the situation any easier for Angie.

“I don’t like you running around the island, Ruthy. It isn't safe.”

“Mom.” Ruthy insist, even with the anger flashing on her Mother's face with any mention of Dësmã.

“You're not going to listen.” Angie scowls, she hasn’t felt herself from the moment Dësmã showed up. She wont admit that Henry had exhibited strange behavior months before that. _‘How did I lose control of my life?’_

“Dad has his Jekyl side.” Ruthy states walking around the kitchen counter. “He always did.” She wraps her skinny arms around Angie's waist and props her chin on her chest. “Its not fair to blame Dësmã for it. She lost her Dad too.”

It’s a fact Angie has forcibly not thought about. Dësmã thinking her Father was dead all these years and then to find him living a normal suburban life with a wife and children…

“I miss Dad too.” Ruthy whispers.

“I know.” Angie nods, because she misses him too.

.

It used to be an office plaza-sort of like a mall without escalators but plenty of regular stairs. It has now become a base for Trumbull’s own little version of the Janus Corporation. Funded by siphoned government money Trumbull was very careful did not lead anywhere near him. Edward found it by using old contacts, pulling in favors and cashing in on old debts.

“How do you know they’ll keep quiet?” Dësmã demands. She's been sitting around playing side kick to Edward the past month and she's had enough of it.

“Because I’ll kill them if they don’t.” Edward replies easily. He spares Dësmã a quick perfunctory smile before returning to his cleaning.

“If Janus doesn’t kill you first.” Dësmã retorts.

Edward won’t admit she's got a point but he does convey his disappointment with her lack of trust in his abilities with the look he gives her. He's worried too. Dësmã shouldn’t be there and that warning Matthias threatened him with if Dësmã came to any harm rings in his ears.

.

_Edward finds it easier to keep Henry asleep if the Spivey's aren't around to annoy him. Using the empty island house gives him that reprieve and thankfully Angie has been too nervous about wandering the island to leave the Spivey house. Being on his own also provides him the opportunity to spend some time with his daughter, time he's used to get to know her as best he can. The difficulty comes in trying to circumvent years of programming himself, not allowing himself to make any attachments, ties to people that can be used against him, chinks in his armor… because he allows himself to love someone._

_Edward finds himself staring at Dësmã, trying not to let her notice but it gets more difficult every day that goes by. Something in the way she’ll bite the inside of her cheek as she's thinking or focused, reminds him of Harper. He's caught himself listening to her voice, either with his back to her or before walking into a room she's in, the tone of her voice … its close enough to her Mother's._

_“You hungry?”_

_Dësmã barely glances at him; she's been sitting in the same spot over an hour staring at the ocean. “No, thank you.”_

_“Here.” Edward isn't taking ‘No’ an answer anymore and the coffee cup is reluctantly taken from him. He moves towards her feet and leans on the crates. “Dësmã.” She looks at him and he offers a crooked smile. “What made her chose it?”_

_Dësmã shrugs a shoulder. “It’s Greek. Mom loved the mythology.”_

_“I remember.” Edward assures, he's been thinking a lot about Harper and what a life with them could have been. “What does it mean?”_

_“… ‘pledge’ or ‘binding oath’… she must’ve liked something about it.” Dësmã shrugs again and turns to stare at the water once more._

_Edward leaves it alone though he's got questions. He has a pretty good idea of what this ‘pledge’ had been for Harper. Maybe a reminder of what she had with him and lost… Harper had been the romantic type of girl; flowers, notes, poetry, moonlit walks, sappy lovey dovey movies …_ ‘The things I did for her.’ _Edward chuckles at those memories._

.

Edward meets Dësmã in the hall leading to their escape route. Nothing has gone according to plan other than shooting and blowing things up. He's got a few kill promises to keep after this and really doesn’t want to hear the ‘I told you’ his daughter wont hold back.

Dësmã holds up the grenade waiting for the ok to use it. Edward points to the doors along the hall they have to travel before reaching the stairs and the exit. He nods and they start moving together.

She's hallway down the hall when the first killer comes into the hall. Edward shoots him in the back while Dësmã takes out the one coming behind. Edward gets smacked into the wall. Dësmã doesn’t have a clear shot and there are more Janus operatives gathered in the room facing the exit they're trying to get to. Dësmã chooses to take out the bigger threat, moving across the door quickly and tosses the grenade. The one in the lead freezes her in place – a perfect target for the operatives focused on the grenade landing at their feet.

But the one … he looks right at Dësmã and runs towards her.  She feels the impact of his body, the harsh impact as they hit the ground and the dizzy sensation from rolling down the stairs.

.

_The sky is a bright blue. The sun feels warm on her skin. Her heart is thumping in her chest._

_“You don’t have jump.”_

_Ruthy looks up at Dësmã. She gets a reassuring smile from her big sister but Ruthy has decided its time to stop behaving like the little kid they all think she is._

_“No, I want to.” Ruthy nods and drags in a heavy breath._

_“Ok,” Dësmã agrees. “Just this once then and if you don’t like the feeling you never have jump again.”_

_Ruthy nods agreement._ ‘I can do that.’

_“I’ll go with you.” Dësmã holds out her hand and waits for Ruthy to take it. When she's ready they’ll run to the edge and jump into the pool at the bottom of the waterfall._

_“Go!” Ruthy yells as grabs Dësmã's hand and starts to the edge._

 .

“Dësmã!!” Edward coughs dust and shoves the dead operate out of his way. There's a panic he's never felt before wrapping its tentacles around his heart. It feels like hours before he finally reaches the stairs, the dust settling enough he has a hazy visual of the landing. “Dës!”

The huddled figure getting to its feet turns out to be too tall and bulky for his daughter. But Edward doesn’t get a safe target, not when the operative tosses Dësmã over his shoulder and takes off.

.

_She’s convinced Sully to play possum in the back seat of their stolen car._

‘Borrowed.’

_Because that’s what she told Sully._

“Stealing is wrong, we’re just borrowing the car for a little bit.”

_Dësmã brushes the tears rolling down her cheeks. She's teaching her little brother the worst lessons so maybe step-douche #3 was right about her. Maybe all she is and will be is trouble…_

_“I'm sorry Mom.”_

.

 _'Another one.'_ Edward scowls at the screen. “Where is that?!”

The man Dësmã thought was just another guy... Is really a Janus operative with a chip in his head. Edward wonders how long Trumbull knew about his daughter. And why spin a fairytale for her? Who was really pulling the strings here?

“It’s on a lower level.” She stammers wincing away from him.

Edward almost leaves the room and the mousy tech he found at the monitors to beat the shit out of the spy abusing his daughter.

"Turn him off." he follows the demand with a light smack of his open palm to her cheek when she doesn’t move fast enough. She squeaks a short gasp of pain and surprise. He doesn't see where the girl gets off complaining when they've watched Dësmã take worse from the spy in her cage.

The mousy tech bites down on her lip, swallowing the short scream as he fists a handful of the dirty blond locks. He doesn't allow her to pull away either and Edward is in her face. "Now."

"Okay." she keeps an eye on Edward as she quickly pulls up the holo, it's different from the one at the office. She clicks a few keys and pulls her hands away from the keyboard. "He's off."

"Good." Edward grabs her roughly by the collar of the flowered denim jacket and hauls her out of the fancy rolling leather chair. "You're going to answer some questions for me."

She nods emphatically, stumbling as he shoves her towards the door.

.

Jared has no idea where he is or why Dësmã keeps screaming at him. "Dës-."

"Back the fuck off!" she kicks out again setting herself to swing. It's not the worst pain she's felt but it seems to hurt the most. She knows better, striking out blindly won't get her out of this mess but seeing him-Jared-the only thoughts racing through her head is that he's alive, he's breathing and moving … and hurting her. "Don't you fucking touch me!"

"Baby, I'm trying to hel-ooph!" Jared doubles over with a well-placed kick but he's smart enough to wrap an arm around her legs. She tries to tear a chunk from his shoulder but she can't reach and Jared is careful not to give her an opening. "What the hell is going on?" he grabs at the hook where her wrists are bleeding from the rope cutting into her skin. "Where are we and why are you strung up, Dës?" he's starting to get angry, confusion finally giving way as he takes in the sweaty mess of his girl. “Who did this?”  The blood caked into her hairline, the bruises on her face and the cut on her lip. But she pushes away from him, striking with her bound hands the moment he puts her down.

"You think it’s gonna work on me?" she glares and kicks at Jared again to make him back off because he tries to reach for her. "Those goddamned puppy dog eyes!" The same look he gave her anytime he wanted Dësmã to do things his way.

Jared doesn’t know what the hell to say but the tears she's fighting to keep in draw him towards her again. “Baby-.”

“NO!” she screams but before she can kick at him Jared has his arms wrapped around her and a hand on her chin to keep her from biting. “Let go!”

Jared wasn’t expecting the knee to his nuts. But that’s how Dësmã makes him let go.

.

Edward should've known better. He should've expected the mousy blond thing to be more than she seemed. Edward definitely would have expected to be suckered if the damn girl hadn't looked so fucking scared he’d kill her if she didn’t tell him about the chip-tech.

She played her part well.

And Edward found out there's an actual chance of fixing his chip, fix it so he doesn’t get wiped or put to sleep.

Because Edward isn't the first one who’s broken.

.

She can't believe him. “You're dead. You're supposed to be dead!”

“Wha-? Dës?” Jared rolls onto all fours. He keeps a healthy distance from her because she's liable to break something, on _him_.

“…I…” Dësmã bumps into the wall at her back and tiredly slides down. “… you can't …”

“Dës, baby… what the hell is going on?” Jared looks at her, wanting very much to pull her into his arms, wipe the blood from her face -  “Who did this to you? Dësmã, tell me.”

She's overwhelmed by a storm of emotions; disbelief, hope, fear … there's nothing she doesn’t feel and thankfully it numbs the pain her body is in. “You.”

Jared frowns; he doesn’t understand what she means.

“You hurt me.” Dësmã repeats, her hands still tied together with the rope.

“No.” Jared shakes his head denying it. “Dës, I wouldn’t-. Dësmã…” she scrambles to her feet when he reaches towards her. “Dës…”

“You're one of them.” Dësmã can't believe they tricked her. “You have a chip.” Her tears fall. “You're a fucking spy!” she lunges at him, bound hands smacking at his chest when he catches her. “Liar! You damn liar!”

“I'm not a spy, Dës; I don’t know what the hell you're talking about!” Jared grab her hands with one of his own, he turns her so she's facing the wall and he does his best to undo the knot on the rope.

“Why?” she demands. “Why did they send you? What's the point?”

“Dësmã, I'm telling you the truth.” Jared yanks on the rope tearing a reluctant yelp from her. “I'm sorry, baby.”

“Get off.” Dësmã pushes and its easier to get out of his arms. “I'm not buying your bull shit. What the hell are you?”

“You know me,” he doesn’t take his eyes off her as he gets to his feet. “I’d never hurt you.”

“Let me go.” She's at the opposite end of the cell.

“Dësmã…I'm not keeping you here.” He shrugs, looks around. “I don’t where the hell we are or why.” he finally looks at her; the wary stance doesn’t hide the pain she feels.

.

Edward stares down at the twisted body of the spy he thought was just a geek.

“She's as good as dead.” She gasps.

Edward pulls his gun from the holster at his side. “How do I fix it?”

She tries to laugh but that makes her cough and blood splatters over her mouth. “Suck it.” She grins. “You're already dead.”

.

Her wrists are wrapped with the rope again. She's in the lead with Jared reluctantly holding a gun to her back while they try not to draw attention on their way out. Dësmã still isn't sure about trusting Jared, she's afraid its another trick-

“What are you doing?”

Dësmã stops, her breath caught in her throat.

“Bring her.”

Jared looks to Dësmã, a slight shrug of his shoulders asking what he's supposed to do.

“Now.”

Dësmã looks up at the man in the gray suit. She steps past Jared forcing him to walk her into the room. There's a large screen in the center, a desk and a sitting area but most of the room is still bare. There's plastic hanging from different sections, still under construction or just on pause…

“Gerald,”

Dësmã looks around, searching for whoever the gray suit is talking to and spots the skinny kid hiding behind another section of plastic across the room.

“Uhm, he's here, Mr. Trumbull.” Gerald shifts uncomfortably on his feet.

“Good, now.” Trumbull faces Dësmã smiling pleasantly. “You have-.”

“It was you?” Dësmã cuts him off. “You're the one who sent them to my house?” she takes a step towards him. “You killed my Mom?”

Trumbull’s pleasant smile strains. “You shouldn’t accuse.” He tells her. “It’s all about proof.”

“Why?” Dësmã blinks back her tears. “What did we do?”

“You're alive, Ms. Albright.” Trumbull turns to Jared, his face taking on a frown. “Gerald?”

“Sir?” Gerald seems to jerk to attention, the thick glasses on his nose get pushed up and a slight puff of breath moves the swatch of brown hair out of his face.

“It seems we have a problem.” He tilts his head towards Jared who looks to Dësmã with concern.

“Dës-.” Jared starts to hold out the gun to her. Dësmã drops the coil of ropes and grabs the gun. She turns it on Trumbull ignoring the tech swiping at the tablet in his hands. She barely gets a shot off when Jared's hands wrap around her wrist. He yanks on her hard and there's a second shot but that’s it.

“Switch him off.” Edward jabs the barrel of his gun behind the skinny tech’s head. “Now!”

“Edward!” Trumbull yells, he's bleeding, a hand clamped to his shoulder. He turns to Jared. “Kill her!”

Jared loses his grip on the gun as Dësmã successfully throws it out of their hands. He knocks her down with a fist then kicks her onto her back.

“You son of a-!” Edward aims at Trumbull. “Turn him off!”

“I did! I did! He's off, I swear!” Gerald yells, squeezing his eyes shut and scrunching into his shoulders. The gunshot echoes in his ears painfully.

“Dës?” Jared's breathless voice is followed by Edward's.

“Dësmã!” Edward grabs the back of Jared’s shirt and yanks him out of the way. “Dësmã?”

“He killed my Mom.” She wheezes trying to sit up.

“I know.” Edward helps her up. “I heard. Dës …”

“I'm fine.” Dësmã pushes away from Edward, she wont even look at Jared and neither of them is allowed to help her off the floor.

“You.” Edward grabs Gerald before he can run off.

“I was just doing what I was told!” Gerald throws his hands up, the tablet clutched in his left. “I swear!”

“You're one of his techs.” Edward states. “You can fix me.” He glares at Jared. “You're going to fix him too.”

“Sure, yeah, whatever you say.” Gerald nods. “Uh, but uh…”

“What?” Edward scowls.

“Well, there’s a hitch, maybe…” Gerald stammers.

.

.

.

.

The program always knew how to remove the original or the cover but they also worked on a way to integrate both into one- that had been the original plan but it kept failing. As in the human guinea pigs always ended up dead.  So this was never an option that had been included or mentioned.

Until Edward Albright took a chance.


	13. Happily Ever After...

Edward quietly walks into the bunk Dësmã is sharing with Jared. She's sleeping, her hand fisted in his shirt as though she fears letting go. Edward doesn’t know how he feels about that. He saw what the loss of the cover did to her and he doesn’t know what this combined version of the cover and the spy is going to do. He can't trust that Gerald has been able to integrate both version into one.

Jared wasn’t broken.

According to Gerald, Edward and Henry were an easy fix. The ‘bridge’ was already there, the broken bit that links both men so they’re one in the same. Edward still isn't sure who’s the dominant personality but so far Henry hasn’t been a nuisance. Gerald thinks its because Henry’s cover and everything he knew is gone.

Edward knows that’s not going to be the case when they get to the island. Just thinking about Angie and the kids… it stirs familiar feelings that at one time he'd only had with Harper.

Jared lays where he is, a hand gently threading through Dësmã's long hair. They’ve hardly spoken- nothing about what he was going to do to her in that cell. He's still not sure which one is feeling what- between the spy and the cover.

 _‘I wouldn’t have…?’_ but Jared can’t be sure that he wouldn’t ever hurt her. That had never been an issue before, he'd meant it, what he said to her the night he ‘died’-

“So?” Edward takes a seat on the empty bunk. They have a sort of ‘bond’ considering who they are and what they’ve been. There's also Dësmã to tie them together and though Edward can see her pull away from the spy when she's awake, it isn't the case when she falls asleep.

Jared doesn’t answer right away. He still doesn’t understand what he feels and he has all of cover-Jared's memories but there's still a disconnect between all of it. _His_ feelings for Dësmã and the life he thought was theirs, and his covers feelings, the spy…

“I know what my orders are. What I was supposed to do.” Jared stares up at the bunk, his eyes tracing the pattern in the metal while he threads words together to explain what he doesn’t understand. “I've never hesitated.” The ‘I’ sounds foreign while at the same time it feels natural to speak of himself as the spy but he's still refusing to

“There's a first time.” Edward assures. He's hesitated and questioned orders more than once. Maybe it’s why Edward is in the mess he's in right now.

“I won’t hurt her.” Jared finally manages to say. It’s not exactly what Edward wants to hear but it’s the best Jared can do for now.

“She's in love with … you.” They both know Edward means Jared's cover.

“I know.” Jared looks down at the sleeping girl in his arms. He remembers the first time his other me saw her. The first time he kissed her- right after she agreed on a date… “I … lover her.”

Edward's not sure he believes it, the hesitation between the start and the end doesn’t help but Jared is the one still integrating his cover. It hasn’t been easy – moments when the spy asserts control before Jared can rationalize the actions he starts. Its why Dësmã keeps her distance – part of the reason, because she can't look at Jared without wishing for the guy who stole her heart when the spy that hurt her in the cell is staring back.

“Make sure do you.” Edward warns as he gets to his feet. “She's my little girl.”

Edward leaves them, the words sound foreign, they felt strange rolling off his tongue but something about the sentence fills him with warmth.

Is that part of what it feels like to be a Dad?

.

Matthias is waiting at the dock. Jace is absent which is for the better. He doesn’t want a fight on his hands and he's worried too. There's the love of his daughters life, that she saw die, coming to live among them.

“I can see the boat.” Sully points out.

“I can't.” Ruthy shakes her head, frowning.

“Sully has eyes like a hawk.” Matthias murmurs. It doesn’t take long before he can see the boat as well.

“I don’t see them.” Sully squints, a hand shading over his eyes as he wades into the surf.

“My Dad’s with them.” Ruthy tries to sound sure but there's still a hint of worry that it’s going to be Edward at the helm and not Henry.

“I'm sure they're both fine.” Matthias assures placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. He sighs and looks towards the trees hoping that Jack has changed his mind but he hasn’t mellowed much during Edward and Dësmã’s absence.

“I tried to get him to come.” Ruthy sighs, her eyes skimming the tree line as well before glancing at Matthias. “Mom didn’t want to.”

“Dës!!” Sully draws their eyes to the boat and the girl at the rail. He grins and wades into the ocean deeper when he sees his sister kick off her boots. It doesn’t take long for Dësmã to dive over the side.

What Mathias notices as soon as Dësmã gets to shallow water is that she's wearing her shirt when normally she wouldn’t have bothered keeping it on.

“Dës!” Sully picks her up in a bear hug, Dësma’s face hiding in his shoulder. He can feel the slight tremble in her body and hugs her tighter. “Your home, Dëssy.” He whispers planting a kiss on her wet hair.

“Dad!” Ruthy jumps, she sprints to the dock and Edward who steps off the boat and stares at Ruthy who stops short and hesitates when he doesn’t automatically smile at her.

Matthias slowly walks towards them, watching as the spy steps off the boat and look around. He's tall, built like a fighter and moves with that same grace and danger that Edward emotes and doesn’t notice anymore. He wonders that Dësmã didn’t see it when they met …

“Hello.”

Jared glances at Edward and towards Dësmã before nodding at Matthias returning the greeting.

“Anything exciting happen while we were out?” Edward shoulders his bag; the shades on his face hide his eyes.

.

Jared is trying not to snap at Jace but the asshole isn't making it easy. They think he doesn’t understand French – thought, because Jared finally tells Jace to _tais-toi_.

That works out for a few hours before Jace goes back to his antics. Its hasn’t been sitting well, having Dësmã’s first under the same roof… it isn't only Jace that Dësmã has avoided. Jace has noticed her distance and if he's noticed the changes in her usual routine then Athanasius has certainly made not of it as well. The lack of her presence in his Father’s home when she’d practically lived there … and Jace blames it all on Jared. The dead spy who just couldn’t stay dead.

“Mon fils…” Athanasius sighs sadly.  

“Je l’aime. J’ai toujours.” Jace admits before walking out of the house.

.

Gerald hates the heat and humidity but its better than being dead so he doesn’t bitch about his new life. He's chosen to make the best of the hand dealt to him. “I like breathing.”

“Of course you do.” Edward/Henry say from the kitchen.

“Oh,” Gerald tries not to jump but he's startled. “Didn’t hear you guys.”

Edward/Henry make a face, its still weird both being awake but Gerald’s been right. With all the familiar trappings of Henry’s life its been easier for Edward to stay the dominant consciousness.

That’s also what worries him with Dësmã and the spy she's in love with.

“When are you guys gonna see his wife?” Gerald reaches across the counter for a coffee mug. “You don’t have to babysit me. I'm very fond of my life and I know how to keep it. Besides, that little girl- Ruthy? Yeah, she's not gonna stop coming by to get you home for dinner-.”

“Shut up, Gerald.” Edward leaves the mug in the sink and walks out of the house.

.

Jared has to decide what he's going to do and he can't do it with Jace in is ear. Or with Dësmã simultaneously avoiding him and bumping into him. It would be simpler if he left the island but there's a part of him that doesn’t want to go… that other him wants to stay for her.

“Il ya beaucoup de maisons vides à gauche.” Athanasius hands the glass to Jared and slowly lowers himself into the empty chair on the porch.

“Merci.” Jared nods, but he's still going to think about it.

.

Dësmã hesitates to walk in. That’s a first considering this has been her home as well. She’s hesitated walking into her grandfather’s home since they returned to the island.

“Couldn’t stay away.” Jared's voice startles her as he comes up the stairs behind her. “Dad’s down by the beach. Come on up.” He smiles but keeps his hands to himself. He's been watching her, the reaction to Jared she has whenever they're in the same place together.

“Knock it off, Jace.” Dësmã’s tone lacks any heat; he hasn’t heard much emotion from her since they showed up two weeks ago.

“He's not here.” Jace walks past ignoring that wounded look on her face.

“I’ll come back later then.” She turns to go, hurrying down the stairs.

“He won’t be here, Dës. Not later, not tomorrow.” Jace hates how much the thought of the broken-soldier leaving hurts her.

“Jace…” Dësmã breathes a heavy sigh and rubs at her eyes.

“Crying? You're not the type, Dëssy.” Jace smirks.

“I really am, Jace.” Dësmã looks up at him from her spot on the grassy yard. “Sorry, that I let you think I could move forward with you. I tried …”

“Sure did, baby.” Jace agrees. “Loudly and passionately at least 3 times a night when you snuck in.” he winks, smiling. “I liked that sound you made every time I woke you up. You remember?”

She wants to tell him what an asshole he is but she knows he's hurt by her choice. He really didn’t think she’d meant it, ending their fling. Jace hadn't seen it as such and Dësmã had tried to pretend … because if she hadn't left the island it would be Jace.

“I do love you, Jace. I did before …”

“Don’t lie, Dësmã.”

“There's a difference.” She assures him. “I've learned that much. And yes, I do. Love you even though you're an asshole most of the time. I always did, Jace.”

“You can't love both of us.” There's a little ember of hope coming to life. But he's still not about to clarify what she's thinking. He shoves the door open wider, an invitation that almost draws her towards him. But she steps back instead.

“I'm in love with a ghost, Jace.” Dësmã shakes her head. “Losing myself a few hours a night with you won’t change that.”

Jace steps back into the house, he closes the door and turns away from the girl he's loved and now … completely lost.

 _‘She was never really mine.’_ But he'd hoped…

.

There's a box on the dresser by the window. Its an old lock-box, dented and banged up but very familiar. She left it for him the second day on the island. He takes it and sets it on the bed. He finds familiar items inside, everything he put inside but he's looking for one item in particular. There's a picture of her that grabs his attention; he pulls it out of the stack and stares at her sleeping face.

There had been something about that moment he hadn't wanted to lose. A quiet in their bedroom, peaceful…the sun had lit her face and his first thought had been he'd somehow been blessed with an angel. Sappy, poetic shit that would get any guys ass beat. But he'd slipped out of bed and grabbed his phone to snap a picture…

.

Dësmã has spent the past week avoiding everyone. It’s been difficult to hide what she's feeling. She's been walking along the beach each night where they can't see her tears. She misses him; she keeps looking out to the waves wondering if he's okay, if he's safe and worried that whoever has taken over for Trumbull will find him…

He spots her easily, standing ankle deep in sand letting the waves swirl around her feet. She doesn’t notice him until he's a few feet away and she startles. He can see surprise ghost over her face and she's not quick enough to hide the happiness she feels seeing him there.

“I … thought you’d left.” Dësmã could wish her voice didn’t sound so breathless and quickly ducks her face slightly turning to surreptitiously wipe the tears from her cheeks.

“No,” he moves to stand beside her. “I moved into the empty house on the other side of the island.”

“Oh.” Dësmã makes a fist thinking Jace had known and he'd allowed her to believe-

“I got tired of Jace.” He says looking down at her. “He has a big mouth.”

Dësmã is speechless for a moment; embarrassed too because this is not something she's even had to deal with. Two guys she's ‘dated’ running across each other, let alone living on island together. It’s like a bad reality show. “I …”

“Your grandfather noticed I was close to snapping his neck.” Jared makes a face of distaste just thinking about the spy in his head showing him _exactly_ how to do it. “So I moved out.”

“He wasn’t lying.” Dësmã whispers. “I needed to forget and I couldn’t-.” she bites her lip and looks out at the waves because she can't look at Jared. “We have history.” She says after a moment. “He's been with me … they’ve all given up so much. But that part is over.” Dësmã turns to Jared. “Before I left the island with Edward. I told him, Jace, I told him -.”

“I get it.” Jared cuts her off. There's a part of him that hates she has a history with the asshole. And he gets they have history, that it was easy for Dësmã to fall in Jace’s arms. But it also puts doubts ... “Do you … love him?”

Dësmã sighs heavily. She wipes her hands over her eyes and shakes her head staring at the sand under their feet washing away with the waves.

“Yes.” She replies simply, her eyes searching his. “Of course. He's been my family before anything else. He always will be.” She wipes at her cheeks again feeling embarrassed.

“Do you love me?” Jared tries not to hold his breath but the conflicting emotions on her face almost make him change his mind.

“I…” Dësmã looks away, anywhere but at his eyes and the gray felt box in Jared’s hand seems to push her away from him. “Please…” Dësmã chokes back a sob but her eyes can't seem to look away from that box.

Jared brings it towards her, his hand opening so it rests in his palm. “Dësmã-.

“I don’t want it.” She chokes out and quickly turns away because she doesn’t want him to see her cry. She doesn’t want any of them to see how this hurts.

“Dës!” Jared's longer stride easily over-takes hers and he grabs her wrist to make her stop. “I've had this for months. I was waiting…” he wanted it to be perfect. He wanted to get them in a nicer apartment, out of the ratty neighborhood, somewhere she could see herself in a future with him.

“You're not him.” Dësmã says. She turns to face him, her eyes bright with tears she doesn’t wipe away. “It’s not real. This isn't real. Because I saw you die- I saw Jared … and the life I didn’t know I wanted died that night too. With him.” She takes a breath and pulls her hand from his. “I have to try and forget. I need to forget and it’s not easy when you're – when I see _you_. And if you ask me- ask…” Dësmã presses both hands over her face shaking her head. “I don’t know which one you’ll be.” Her voice whispers past her lips.

He understands exactly what she's afraid of. He remembers that girl who didn’t want to give him the time of day. He can't remember putting so much energy into getting to know anyone as he did for Dësmã and through everything … Jared doesn’t regret any moment she allowed him to spend with her.

“I'm Jared.” He pulls her into his arms, the felt box clenching in his fist at her back. He cups his hand on her chin and turns her face up to his. “Its me, Dësmã.”

She doesn’t want to believe Gerald has been successful – she can still hear Jared screaming, the threats he yelled from the chair Edward strapped him into.

“I'm here, Dës. I'm not leaving you and I promise … I won’t hurt you.”

That’s a promise he's not going to break. There's no secret spy organization that’s going to fuck with his head. That’s been fixed and right now he's going to reach for that day dream; a happily ever after with Dësmã.

 

The end.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations
> 
> Mon fils – my son
> 
> Je l’aime. J’ai toujours – I love her. Always have
> 
> Il ya beaucoup de maisons vides à gauche - There are plenty of empty houses left
> 
> tais-toi – shut up


	14. End of Heartache

Edward just stares at Jared.

Its too early in the morning for games and what Jared is asking for … well, Edward isn't ready to hand her over when they’ve barely gotten to know each other.

“I suppose I should take into consideration you came to me and not Matthias.”

Jared shifts uncomfortably because it hadn't occurred to him to ask anyone other than Edward. He's Dësmã's Father and that was as far as Jared had thought of. But she hasn’t actually said yes either.

“She still hasn’t answered you.” Edward states with confidence and the look crossing Jared's face is all the answer he needs. He chuckles. “She's more like her Mother than even she knows.” He leans back on the counter, arms crossing over his chest and looks Jared over once again. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Jared has no hesitation. Its all he's been thinking about up in the empty house now that Jace isn't in his ear 24/7. But part of his decision making has been Jace and his relationship with Dësmã.

“Woa there, kid.” Edward shakes his head. “That’s too fast-.”

“I'm sure. And I get it.” Jared braces his hands on the kitchen counter of Edward's house; He's still keeping his distance from the Spivey's though Ruthy drops in at random times, she's even taken to sleeping in one of the bedrooms much to Edward's dismay and slight annoyance. Henry likes to assert himself at those times and Edward doesn’t appreciate it.

“You think a month is enough time to ask for my daughter?” Edward frowns; he's got Henry in his head reminding him they have _two_ daughters to worry over.

“A month here,” Jared agrees. “I'm still more the spy … I know that’s never going away but she -.” He looks down at the counter exhaling. “I feel like Jared with her and that’s better than who they put in the chair.”

“You're not using my daughter.” Edward warns.

“She needs me too.” Jared protests.

“What she needs is the guy she met when she came looking for answers.” Edward states. “What you're offering her is not the same thing. And I'm not letting her -.”

“Since when is Dësmã about asking for permission?” Jared shoves off the counter. “Do you know anything about her? Because I lived with her a year-.”

“You didn’t.” Edward points out. “That cover Trumbull loaded you with shacked up with my daughter. You're not Jared-.”

“I'm not going to be their killer either.” Jared cuts in.

“You can't have Dësmã.” Edward forbids. “You're not using her to keep your dominant half in check. You need to do that on your own.” That’s the end of the conversation. No question. No doubt.

.

Dësmã is sitting at the edge of the falls, dangling her feet over the side, fiddling with the ring she woke up wearing this morning. She hasn’t said ‘yes’ though the temptation is overwhelming. But she's still afraid of the spy … Jared wasn’t hers to begin with. She sort of understands what Angie felt hearing about Henry and Edward, her anger because she thought she’d been lied to. Dësmã’s felt the same emotions since she woke up hanging from a hook in the ceiling …

“You're going to fall over the side.”

Dësmã startles and looks over her shoulder to where Sully comes to sit beside her.

“You didn’t come home again.” He sighs. “Don’t tell me you were over at grandfathers- I don’t want to know. Because if Dad's gonna yell at anyone it doesn’t have to be me.” He assures bumping her shoulder with his.

“I wasn’t at grandfathers.” Dësmã leans on his shoulder and rests her head. “Matthias doesn’t yell.”

Sully snorts a laugh. “You weren't here to hear him when he found out you were with Jace and your Dad on the mainland.” His eyes drift over the falls and the sparkle from Dësmã's lap grabs his attention. “Who gave you a ring?” he grabs her hand and yanks it up so he can see it clearly. “You and Jace-!”

“Wha- no.” Dësmã tugs her hand out of Sully’s grip, frowning. “… …”

“Dës…” Sully waits but Dësmã looks out over the falls – anywhere that isn't him. “You can tell me.”

Dësmã lets out a heavy breath. “It was … him.” She doesn’t want to call him by name because she's wishing it was all Jared and its not like that at all.

“Him …? Dës, there's a bunch of ‘hims’ on our island. A lot of old ones.” He makes a face at her that gets the mue of a tiny smile. “So… Jared, then. That’s your ‘him’?”

She just nods, her ring finger twisting painfully in her grasp that Sully takes her hands in his to stop her from ripping off her own finger.

“What's the problem, Dëssy?” when she doesn’t answer him, Sully sighs wondering how much longer its gonna be before they both stop treating him like a little kid. “I heard you telling Dad about Jared.”

“You were eavesdropping?” Dësmã frowns at him.

“No,” he shakes his head. “I heard you crying on the ship. That first night when I almost walked into our berth.”

She doesn’t say anything, just stares at the falls trying not to think about that first trip home with Edward and the Spivey's. There hadn't been any time to grieve while they were running for their lives and then being thrust into the Spivey family dynamic. That had been difficult even without the added stress of danger and uncertainty they were living in.

“What's a guy have to do around here to be taken seriously?” Sully sighs with annoyance. “Grow a beard?”

Dësmã spares him an assessing glance and smiles softly before resting her head on his shoulder. “You'd look ridiculous with a beard.”

“ZZ Top.” Sully exclaims.

“Exactly.” She agrees.

.

Dësmã hears Edward's soft tread early the next morning. She doesn’t get up from her seat in the alcove, nor does she look away from the sunrise.

“Breakfast?” Edward invites when he notices her. Like Ruthy, she's taken to spending the nights sometimes. He wonders if either girl thought to ask him if he minded. Then he wonders what's going to happen when they both show up for a sleep-over on the same night? There aren't enough bedrooms for all of them. And he's not about to let Gerald out of his sight.

“Not hungry.” Dësmã answers.

It’s the same answer and he's going to ignore it. He grabs a mug and pours her a cup then smothers two bagels with cream cheese and some sliced fruit. He grabs it all and plops down beside her.

“Eat.”

Dësmã glances at him then takes the mug from his hand and a piece of fruit.

“You're going to eat more than that.” Edward assures. He gets a small smile from her before she stares out at the waves again.

He sighs.

Edward knows who to blame for this and he hasn’t missed the rock on her finger either.

.

Matthias watches Jack sparring with Jace. He can see his brother working out hurt and anger on the kid. Jack is still angry, sullen and blatantly ignoring everyone’s else feelings in this situation, so he's giving Jace a good work out.

“He hasn’t changed.”

“He's focused.” Sully points out with a shrug.

“He’s angry.” Matthias turns to his son. “Anger can feed your resolve, drive you but it isn't healthy, son.”

“Hey,” Sully holds up his hands. “I'm not the angry teen, Dad. I'm a pretty mellow, go with the flow, kind of guy. I'm good.” He smiles earning a bemused chuckle from his father. “But,” he turns his attention to the sparring pair. “Maybe you should talk to his Mom.”

“Angie?” Matthias frowns.

“Ruthy mentioned she's not doing so great.” Sully informs. “Hen-Ward hasn’t been to the Spivey’s house since they got back.”

“Hen-Ward?” Matthias is confused.

“Henry/Edward.” Sully shrugs. “Cus they're one person now.”

“Okay,” Matthias still doesn’t get it but he’ll leave that alone. “You've been spending a lot of time with Ruthy.” He notes.

“Not…really.” Sully can't help the heat in his neck and he's avoiding looking at his Dad.

“Oh…” Matthias sighs tiredly. He's really not looking forward to having another conversation with his son but especially about _why_ Ruthy is off-limits.

.

Its taken her some a few days to get up the nerve to have this conversation.

Because Ruthy wants a complete family and she's always wanted a sister…

And maybe it will be alright. Maybe Edward won’t be so bad once she gets to know him better and he gets to know her…

“It’s kind of like a date.” Ruthy grins.

“No.” Angie shakes her head but she feels nervous – as if this were exactly like that; a date.

The knock at the glass doors startles Angie but Ruthy is up and running to open them. “Time to go, Mom!”

Dësmã stands on the deck shifting awkwardly. Angie looks at Ruthy who keeps smiling.

“I'm … I’ll show you the way.” Dësmã backs up and heads down the steps and waits.

“Be nice to her, Mom.” Ruthy warns in a soft whisper. “She didn’t put the chip in Dad's head and she's my sister. Please…?”

Angie drags in a heavy breath and drops a kiss on Ruthy’s head before walking out.

They walk in silence; Angie thinking what this must all be like for Dësmã. She's starting to let go of the anger and hurt. Starting to see the other side of this situation- to see how Dësmã-

“I'm sorry.” Dësmã says into the silence.

“What?” Angie is surprised.

“I came looking for him.” Dësmã stops on the path and looks up at Angie. “I wanted to find him, find my Dad and I shouldn’t have bothered. All I've done is ruined what happiness you had and I'm sorry.”

Angie doesn’t know what to say. They stand silently looking at each other for a moment before Dësmã starts walking again. Angie instinctively lunges forward and grabs Dësmã's wrist to stop her. The next part is a surprise to both of them.

Dësmã stands stiff in Angie's arms. She doesn’t know how to react, or if she's supposed to and then Angie places a kiss into her hair. Its such a motherly gesture that Dësmã actually feels something in her chest snap.

How many years has it been … because the only affections she's had has come from the men in her family. A hug, a kiss…

“I'm sorry.” Angie sounds alarmed. “I didn’t mean to make you cry. I just- I-.” she wipes a tear from Dësmã's cheek and it doesn’t feel as uncomfortable as it should between them.

“…it…this felt…” Dësmã drags in a shaky breath and slowly starts walking again. “It reminded of my Mom…when she’d hug me.” She shrugs her shoulder avoiding looking at Angie. But she doesn’t pull her hand out away when Angie takes it in hers.

When they get closer to the house Edward has been hiding out with Gerald they slow down.

“Don’t let him talk you out of anything.” Dësmã warns. “Edward.” She clarifies. “He's going to try and he's very good. Just…” she blows out a pent up breath and looks up at Angie. “If you want him, Henry, then don’t let Edward push you away.” She pushes a branch out of their way and stares at the lights glowing through the trees. “He’s just afraid to get lost in Henry because of what you represent; you, Ruthy and Jack.” She stops just past the trees and stares at the open doors. “And because he made me a promise.” She turns to Angie. “He said he wouldn’t leave me again.”

“He is yours, Dësmã.” Angie assures. “As much as he's ours.” She looks at the house with resolve.

.

Athanasius doesn’t explain why she's the only one who showed up for the morning routine.

“S'asseoir.”

Dësmã looks around, brow furrowed but does as he's asked. They sit facing the beach, under the shade of a tree.

“Vous devez lui donner une réponse.”

Dësmã sucks in a harsh breath.

“Nous savons.” Athanasius assures. “Il est venu demander Matthias pour vous”

“I -.” She doesn’t know what to say.

“Que craignez-vous de, Dësmã?” Athanasius takes her hand in his wrinkled one. “Ne vous l'aimez?”

Dësmã curls her fingers, lips pressed tight together. She's done her best not to think of him the past few days but she hasn’t taken off the ring he put on her finger either.

“Chaque homme a plus d'un côté. Jekyl et Hyde.” He looks out to the waves, listening to them crash on the beach. “Ces hommes dans votre vie maintenant, ils sont Hyde n'est plus caché.”

“What if it isn't Jared anymore?” Dësmã whispers. “What if it’s the spy more than …”

“On ne sait jamais vraiment ceux que nous aimons, ma fille.” Athanasius tugs her into his side, his arm draping around her shoulders. “Il ya une partie de nous nous cachons, même vous. Cette partie qui n'est pas si joli, si noble, si doux … Oui, nous cachons la laideur parce que nous craignons que cela les effrayer. Ceux que nous aimons … Vous avez déjà vu le monstre dans Jared, Dësmã. Et il a risqué de te perdre … en fonction de votre réponse.”

“I'm afraid, grandfather.” She tucks into his side.

“Vous avez eu peur assez longtemps.” He states firmly.

.

 

Translations

**Sit** – s'asseoir                       

 **You need to give him an answer** – vous devez lui donner une réponse

 **We know.** **He came to ask Matthias for you** – nous savons. il est venu demander Matthias pour vous

 **What are you afraid of, Dësmã** – Que craignez-vous de

 **Do you love him?** – ne vous l'aimez?

 **Every man has more than one side.** **Jekyl and Hyde** – chaque homme a plus d'un côté

 **These men in your life now, they’re Hyde is no longer hidden away** – ces hommes dans votre vie maintenant, ils sont Hyde n'est plus caché

 **We never truly know the ones we love, my girl** – on ne sait jamais vraiment ceux que nous aimons, ma fille

 **There's a part of us we hide, even you. That part that isn't so pretty, so noble, so sweet… Yes, we hide the ugliness because we fear it will scare them away. Those we love… You've already seen the monster in Jared, Dësmã.** **And he's risked losing you … depending on your answer** – Il ya une partie de nous nous cachons, même vous. Cette partie qui n'est pas si joli, si noble, si doux … Oui, nous cachons la laideur parce que nous craignons que cela les effrayer. Ceux que nous aimons … Vous avez déjà vu le monstre dans Jared, Dësmã. Et il a risqué de te perdre … en fonction de votre réponse

 **You've been afraid long enough** – vous avez eu peur assez longtemps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations  
> Sit – s'asseoir   
> You need to give him an answer – vous devez lui donner une réponse  
> We know. He came to ask Matthias for you – nous savons. il est venu demander Matthias pour vous  
> What are you afraid of, Dësmã – Que craignez-vous de  
> Do you love him? – ne vous l'aimez?  
> Every man has more than one side. Jekyl and Hyde – chaque homme a plus d'un côté  
> These men in your life now, they’re Hyde is no longer hidden away – ces hommes dans votre vie maintenant, ils sont Hyde n'est plus caché  
> We never truly know the ones we love, my girl – on ne sait jamais vraiment ceux que nous aimons, ma fille  
> There's a part of us we hide, even you. That part that isn't so pretty, so noble, so sweet… Yes, we hide the ugliness because we fear it will scare them away. Those we love… You've already seen the monster in Jared, Dësmã. And he's risked losing you … depending on your answer – Il ya une partie de nous nous cachons, même vous. Cette partie qui n'est pas si joli, si noble, si doux … Oui, nous cachons la laideur parce que nous craignons que cela les effrayer. Ceux que nous aimons … Vous avez déjà vu le monstre dans Jared, Dësmã. Et il a risqué de te perdre … en fonction de votre réponse  
> You've been afraid long enough – vous avez eu peur assez longtemps


End file.
